HipHop Talks Podcast
NBA Finals Preview, Interview with Chicago's own IAMGAWD, Summer Jam '24 Highlights, Wu Tang Forever 27th Anniversary and more
Can the Boston Celtics outmaneuver the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals? Join us for an engaging episode where we uncover the strategies Boston needs to shut down Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, leveraging defensive prowess and key player performances. As a die-hard Duke fan, I share my admiration for Kyrie and Jason Tatum, discussing their potential legacies and the critical role team play will have in this high-stakes series. From nostalgic sunburn stories in the Dominican Republic to bold game predictions, we cover it all with a mix of humor and insight.
But our conversation doesn't stop at the court. We shift gears to the heart of hip-hop, highlighting the importance of respecting legends and supporting new artists. Exciting news about our upcoming interview with rapper I Am God underscores our commitment to highlighting emerging talent. We critique the lack of appreciation for veterans like Method Man and Redman, stressing the cultural disconnect in events like Summer Jam. With personal anecdotes about our children’s music tastes, we emphasize the need for mentorship and preserving hip-hop's legacy for future generations.
As we pay homage to the Wu-Tang Clan, we dive into the lyrical brilliance of Inspectah Deck and Ghostface Killah, dissecting standout verses and the album "Wu-Tang Forever." The debate gets heated as we rank top tracks and balance solo efforts with group classics. To wrap up, we highlight the anticipation for "Blood Stain Suede 3" and the significance of keeping the essence of hip-hop alive. Join us for a dynamic blend of sports insights, cultural critique, and an appreciation for the lyrical giants that shape our playlists.
Can the Boston Celtics outmaneuver the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals? Join us for an engaging episode where we uncover the strategies Boston needs to shut down Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, leveraging defensive prowess and key player performances. As a die-hard Duke fan, I share my admiration for Kyrie and Jason Tatum, discussing their potential legacies and the critical role team play will have in this high-stakes series. From nostalgic sunburn stories in the Dominican Republic to bold game predictions, we cover it all with a mix of humor and insight.
But our conversation doesn't stop at the court. We shift gears to the heart of hip-hop, highlighting the importance of respecting legends and supporting new artists. Exciting news about our upcoming interview with rapper I Am God underscores our commitment to highlighting emerging talent. We critique the lack of appreciation for veterans like Method Man and Redman, stressing the cultural disconnect in events like Summer Jam. With personal anecdotes about our children’s music tastes, we emphasize the need for mentorship and preserving hip-hop's legacy for future generations.
As we pay homage to the Wu-Tang Clan, we dive into the lyrical brilliance of Inspectah Deck and Ghostface Killah, dissecting standout verses and the album "Wu-Tang Forever." The debate gets heated as we rank top tracks and balance solo efforts with group classics. To wrap up, we highlight the anticipation for "Blood Stain Suede 3" and the significance of keeping the essence of hip-hop alive. Join us for a dynamic blend of sports insights, cultural critique, and an appreciation for the lyrical giants that shape our playlists.
Cool boogie what it do, homie.
Speaker 2:My man, what's good. I sounded like Denzel in training day. My man, my man, yes sir. What's going on? I see the lovely palm trees and breeze behind you, sir.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man, I'm in the Dominican Republic right now sweating my ass off. It's crazy humid out here, man.
Speaker 2:Hold on. It's June, so yeah, it's about 105 degrees there.
Speaker 1:It's 85, but the humidity pushes up like 10 times the actual index itself.
Speaker 2:It's it's crazy, I hear right now I'm like um, trust, I've, I've been there before, so how about this? The only time that I got sunburned my life was in the dominican republic. I took, um, I took a boat to a private resort for the day. Yeah, and I mean literally, and I mean this is only time that's ever happened to me in my life Like, literally, two hours on that boat fried my ass, fried me, and I'm gonna tell you what was crazy about it Nigga, it was October when it happened. September, it was September when it happened. I got fried in September. I was like, yeah, I was like, so I won't be going there in June and July.
Speaker 3:It be going there in june and july, bro, yeah, we man. It's crazy out here, you know, I mean they're thinking that I'm dominican.
Speaker 1:What hey, what ghost said bitches thinking I'm dominican slash half indian milk on my mustache, drop to my chili chip and that's how I feel out here. Man, I think I'm part of the locals that's actually.
Speaker 2:it's actually appropriate, um, that you're actually bringing up ghosts because we're going to be, uh, talking some, some Wu-Tang Forever today and talking some songs from the Wu-Tang Clan that we all enjoy, indeed, indeed indeed Okay.
Speaker 3:Before we get into that man, let's talk about the NBA Finals.
Speaker 1:We pushed the show up tonight just to make sure we pay respect to the NBA Finals kicking off tonight as well. Got the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics. Who you got home?
Speaker 2:So I'll tell you what I mean, and the people who are following me know this Well. I'm a Duke fan and so, yeah, I'm a Duke fan. I think, if I'm not mistaken, I'm the only Duke fan in my family. Everybody else are Tar Heel fans.
Speaker 1:That makes sense yeah that makes sense.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, no, no, no, yeah. Typical me. But yeah, now the two guys playing on opposite sides, you play with each other, which once upon a time made me very happy at their potential, and that's Kyrie Irvin and Jason Tatum. Um, when it is all said and done, kyrie Irvin and Jason Tatum are going to go down as the most NBA decorated players to come from Duke. I don't think any one of them is better than a prime Grant Hill.
Speaker 2:Like Grant Hill, had he stayed healthy, would have been a top 20, 25 player all time. In my opinion, stay healthy. I'm thinking about 10 or 15. I was about to say no, no, no, I mean top 20, 25,. Just like, if he don't get no rings, if he would have got him one or two rings, top 10, 15. He was like that. When Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal played basketball in both of their respective primes in Mike's late prime and in Shaq's early prime he was a top five player. When those guys walked around, he was like that. He would have smoked Jason Tatum in his prime, would have crossed him over, dunked on him, looked at him nasty. I'll tell you what Boston should win this series. I'm going to tell you why they are the only team in the league that literally has multiple guys to guard Luka and Kyrie. I expect Derek White and Drew Holiday to guard Kyrie, and I expect Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum to actually take on the task of guarding Luca.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I want to see specifically Jalen Brown garden Luca.
Speaker 2:Now, if we're talking strategy, the way Boston wins this series and this is going to sound crazy double Kyrie every chance you get and make Luca shoot, scoring 40, 45 points. They actually need to force Luca into like they need to have him at a 40 point a game pace, because I think that'll disrupt their offense and disrupt everybody else. So the goal for me would be to double and trap Kyrie from the moment he gets up the court and make Luka beat you one on one. Yeah, like no, no, no, throw all those lobs because the Celtics shoot the most three in the league, most threes in the league. It's like no, throw those lobs. Take those two points.
Speaker 2:We're coming back down to get three and they need to take advantage of their mismatches, as in Porzingis if he's healthy, needs to stay out on the perimeter and draw one of those agile big men out of their comfort zone. But I expect the Celtics to win this series in seven games. Jason Tatum better show up, because here's the thing Kyrie and Luca might be the two best players on the court in my opinion, especially on a final stage, but the next four or five players belong to the Celtics and this is a team game, michael.
Speaker 2:Jordan won rings when he learned how to play a team game. Shaquille O'Neal won rings when he learned how to play team games. Kobe Bryant, even LeBron LeBron had to learn. Like LeBron was always a great passer, he didn't always play a great team game. When he learned how to play a great team game is when he started to. So I expect the Celtics to win this series in six or seven games, but probably seven. I think Luke is good for a game. I think Kyrie is good for a game. I think their role players at home are good for the game and that'll give Dallas at least three wins. And I expect the Celtics to take advantage of their home court advantage and their 64 wins. Like there aren't a lot of teams that have won 64 games that didn't win the title.
Speaker 1:You know that right Like yeah, yeah, like when you don't think, man, I don't know.
Speaker 2:I don't know when you, when you get past 62 wins, sean, it's like go look at the records of the teams that have won more than 62 games, like from 63 wins, and on it's usually like championship team, like there are rare instances. Of course, the best regular season team ever, the Golden State Warriors, lost with 73 wins. I think Dierks Mavs against Golden State. I think they might have won 67 games one year and lost that first-round matchup, but when you get past 62, bro, it's more often title time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but this Boston team is a little different man.
Speaker 3:I think they're undisciplined.
Speaker 1:They had a cakewalk in the playoffs.
Speaker 1:I don't think they were actually tested at all. They got some breaks. They got breaks at every single round and this is going to be the first time they're going to play against a team that's going to punch him back in the face with two legit stars superstars in Luka and also in Kyrie. Kyrie's playing phenomenal basketball. He's going to be thirsty, paul, to actually get back at Boston. The only thing I can see with him at Boston is that he's going to be too overzealous to play against them, and that could play in Boston's favor because he could be overly emotional. He can be overshooting himself because he's going to be so focused on getting back at Boston for how they treated him. So I'm looking forward to see what that's going to look like for him being back in the Garden after these last couple of years that he's been away from the Garden and how he ended in the Garden. And Luka's a beast. I wasn't a big Luka fan a couple years ago, but Luka is an animal man. This guy is just. He's changing in front of us. Bro, I go front.
Speaker 1:I don't want to see him win. I don't want to see Kyrie. I don't want to see the Dallas Mavs win. I don't even want to see Boston win. I don't like Boston. I don't like no money. Boston. I don't like the red sides. I don't like the Boston Celtics, I don't like nothing. Boston. Queens get the money, queens get the money. But I do support Jason Tatum. I think Tatum needs this Matter of fact. Who do you think needs this the most? Boston or Mavs? Who do you think the pressure's on the most?
Speaker 2:Jason Tatum's played in six conference finals and this is his second NBA finals. Yes, like I know, kyrie's been here before, but none of these guys have been here before and if you actually look at Luca's age, which is 25, and Kyrie's age, which is 32, I don't think it's unreasonable to say that they have a legitimate shot to like get here to two more times Maybe, like with this team. If they can keep this team together, they have a legit shot with the way that they are designed to do this. If they do lose this series, I would expect them to maybe get rid of a couple of these pieces and go get a third consistent score.
Speaker 1:Yeah, blow it up.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, but yeah, boston should win this series. They have home court, they're actually. But yeah, boston should win this series. They have home court. They're actually the more seasoned team outside of Kyrie. And, quite frankly, you know, this is one of those things where Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum and Al Horford should be motivated by the fact that Kyrie kind of left them hanging. You know what I'm saying? Like, this is where you show your competitive side and take it personally, because here's the thing, oh, I know Kyrie taking it personally, because I know what type of player he is.
Speaker 1:No doubt.
Speaker 2:So that's what my expectation is. I expect Boston to win this series in seven games, but they're going to have to double Kyrie. Like I'm serious about that. Like no double Kyrie, and make Luka go MJ on you Because, like, if the rest of the team, like if they get into the flow of their offense and the lobs start happening and kairi and luca are working with the three, you know you gotta, you gotta shake something up, and so I would.
Speaker 2:I would attack kairi and and like literally trap him at half court because he's only six two, get derrick white and drew holiday to literally close in on him, maybe play some zone or some box in one. You know I'm saying like, like, switch shit up for them. They're not a great three-point shooting team. Make this team shoot threes outside of kairi and luca. When he gets streaky, this team doesn't hit a lot of threes, so it's like, make one of them give the ball up, make the other one shoot. You always make the person like luca's the best player, but kairi's the best shooter. You always get the hands out of the best shooter in a game like this, especially when that guy has proven that he can hit a finals winning shot, not a game winning shot in the finals, a finals winning shot. You do not want Kyrie to start getting hot in this series. You can't but see Boston is so undisciplined.
Speaker 1:Boston will come out in his first game and play crazy In the second game. They'll just take it off.
Speaker 2:Here's the thing Luka's already going to get 30-35. Go ahead and make him shoot about 5-10 more times. No, go get your 40-45. Let's hold everybody else to 40-45 while you get your 40-45 though I can't boss them, do that, they better if they want to win this title. Listen to me, they better if they want to win this title. Listen to me better if they want to win this title. If Kyrie and Luka go off, this is no. No, the two best clutch players are playing on the same team in the same backcourt. You don't have a fucking choice. Like I know, you have the best team with the better record, but, situationally speaking, oh no, you need to make one of them guys go cold, and you should try to make the best shooter go cold, because y'all really can't do nothing with luca. Luca gonna get his 30 35, even with jaylen brown and tatum guarding him absolutely absolutely you.
Speaker 1:I see jarv in the chat piece. Jarv, now you're right, jarv, um, I'm gonna jarv on that. That whole boston thing man, those guys are just yeah, enigma and uh yeah for everyone who's hopping in right now. We did go a little bit earlier because we want to respect the NBA finals tonight, but we also got I Am God coming on tonight at 8 o'clock for an interview, so Cooper now wanted to get a couple of rounds off before I Am God come on set. So, yeah, that's why we're going a little bit earlier tonight.
Speaker 2:Shout out to I Am God. Of course, like you know, when it's show day, I'm always playing. You know the shit that comes with it. And it's like man, I played, I played, I've been playing blood suede stain too, but man like I can't wait till he comes on to talk to him about it. Like you know, um, since I've been in the pod space like my number one motivation has been guys like I am god, like my whole purpose for being here is to scream the name of those types of dudes. It's like we don't have a major league conversation with him today because it's like oh no, this nigga killing everybody in AAA. He's a major leader, you know what I'm saying. He and AAA batting 373, 15 home runs, 70 RBI. We only halfway into the season. You know what I'm saying? It's June, we halfway into the season. He's batting about 373, about 15 home runs, about 70 RBI. Call that man up to the majors, please, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Stop playing around with him. Yeah, stop playing around with this dude. Like he's man, like we're going to talk about it when I talk to him. But you know like it's cool to talk about all the legends we already know. No, I want to be part of who got next.
Speaker 2:You know, I'm saying it's like no, I'll be this nigga publicist writer, like you know. I'm saying like, whatever way he need me to contribute to his cause and his team's cause, it's like that's what the fuck I'm here for. You know, I'm saying like that's why I'm invested in this shit. You know what I'm saying? Because the people who know me always felt like I didn't get a fair shake. But always felt like I didn't get a fair shake because the people who really supposed to be supporting you and promoting you in these spaces don't really do what they should because they too busy covering all the major niggas.
Speaker 2:It's like no, when you major enough, you know, I mean when you major enough in terms of like your bar work, in terms of your bar work, in terms of your song structure, in terms of your albums you deserve to be recognized. It's going to be exciting to have him on. This is going to be the second time he and I broke bread First time on Hip Hop Talks. Super excited about it and excited for him in this new project. It's fucking fire.
Speaker 1:It is Definitely got to show some love to the whole league getting here in a few minutes, chitown in the house. So that's the word.
Speaker 2:That's what we got right now, I mean, we ready for the corner?
Speaker 1:Let's look to the corner, man. The stats give us the corner. Look, man, what Kup got to talk about this time? What's up Double?
Speaker 2:Oh, you already know, so what you got for the corner Kup. I mean first of all, oh, you already know what you got for the corner Cole. I mean, first of all, I know that some people have to understand that Summer Jam is a young man's game and we all understand that. You know what I'm saying. But I have a big, big problem with Method man and Red man getting booed. Like I just do, sean, like there is something about it, like there is literally something about it that don't sit right with me. It's like we had this conversation last week, sean, people don't know their history and so, like I've been on Kendrick fan's head, I was on the OG's head, but now I'm on these punk ass kids, sean, punk ass kids, sean, punk ass kids, like y'all in New York, y'all booing Method man and Red man. Like Method man is the biggest star from the best group that ever came out of New York. He is the author of one of From the best group that ever came out of New York. It's crazy. He is the author of one of the 10 best rap songs of all time, in my opinion. I'll be there for you, the Razor Sharp mix, and he's on the hook to what I think might be a top five hip hop song all time in cream. He's on two of the 10 best rap records of all time, in my opinion.
Speaker 2:How can you boo this man? Do you know who the fuck? Red man is okay in a climate where you arguably have the greatest era of legendary mcs. You understand that it's like okay. Like, let's say, your top four from the 90s is big pop, jay and naz. You know red man is the closest person that has an argument to probably hold that fifth spot, like if we're doing a starting lineup of 1990s mcs. You know what I'm saying. Like we got four slots filled. He's the fifth slot. Like he's, he's the power forward on your, on your top 5 90s team. He's got two, maybe three classic albums in the 90s, four dope projects the meth, the meth and red album, the el nino album, guest appearances on countless people's stuff.
Speaker 2:And y'all are booing red man and method man. Y'all are booing a top five mc from maybe the top era ever, or an arguable top five mc from that era. I personally would pick scarface. But what I'm saying is this red man is one of those people that it's like. Oh no, he's in contention for that fifth, sixth spot. Okay, yep, yep. So booing somebody like that is just letting me know you don't know your history, like, if you do not know your history, then some things will be doomed to repeat themselves, and it's like. So now we're living in a time where it's like, I don't know, like, like what? What is it that? What is it that the new york crowd I mean, sean, you're from queens like for real, tell me what is it that the new york crowd wants from? Meth and red, like, that's like, and we're going to talk about their album. That's like booing daz and corrupt in long beach. Red, that's like, and we're going to talk about their album. That's like booing Daz and Corrupt in Long Beach, in LA. That's like booing Andre and.
Speaker 3:Big Troy down here.
Speaker 2:What the fuck are you doing and then it made me afraid. It's like are y'all going to boo Ray and Ghost next, Because then I'm out.
Speaker 3:I'm out. Tell me what's going on.
Speaker 2:Has Drill taken over new york? Like I thought the drill thing like, like, like was cool. But it's like do you love drill so much that it's like you don't respect your elders? You should get off their lawn punk ass kids.
Speaker 2:Get off. Get off my lawn you, punk ass kids. Stop walking your dog on my grass. George is a shoot at will state. Get off my lawn. George is a shoot at will state. Get off my lawn, the shoot at will state. You come on my grass, you. I don't know what, I don't know what they doing up top. You come on my grass like that, pop, pop, pop. I just need to make sure your back back not turned so I can beat the charge. No man, ridiculous. No, it's ridiculous, it's embarrassing. It's embarrassing like it's embarrassing. It's a poor representation for what's supposed to be the Mecca. This is supposed to be the Mecca.
Speaker 1:I don't blame the people. I don't blame the kids in the audience Straight up. I blame Summer Jam because of the line-up that they have out there and also where they position Meth and Red. You don't put Meth and Red on the stage and you have Sexy Red either behind them or around them or whatever. The booking was horrible by Summer Jam. That show, and Summer Jam has no wherewithal about what's going on with the culture, what's going on with hip-hop, because you have Meth and Red, who are two legacy artists and two legends within their own right. They're in their home state for the most part and they're getting booed by a crowd that doesn't know them. This is a crowd that's around, maybe from their 18 to 28 years, 28 year group. So this, they came to see sexy red. They came to see whoever else was lined up there.
Speaker 3:they didn't come to see me because they don't want to do the knowledge they don't want to do the history.
Speaker 1:They don't care about the history that we do. The beautiful thing about us is that we grew up in the golden eras of hip-hop, from the 80s to the 90s to the early 2000s, so we know what it feels like for them.
Speaker 2:That's like Booing Cool G rap and Big Daddy Kane in 1999. It's like what are you doing?
Speaker 1:Bro, if they were up there, they would have done that same thing with Cool G rap. They wouldn't even know who Cool G rap was later on.
Speaker 2:That's what. I mean that would be our generation booing Cool G rap and Kane in 1999. That would not happen.
Speaker 1:We had OGs. Think not happen. We had OGs. Think about this. We had OGs. My uncles were breakdancers in New York Breakdancers graffiti. They taught me to respect the elders. They put me on poor practice teachers when I was like eight years old, Didn't even understand the numbers or anything like that, so they put me on that.
Speaker 1:We don't have the OG, the OGs right now. What the OGs are doing right here now? They're wearing tight jeans no disrespect to no one, but the OGs are wearing tight jeans and and and goofy looking stuff trying to blend in with the kids. I got an OG talking about they got the riz. My 12 year old daughter is talking about some riz and you got an OG got my age got the Riz. My 12-year-old daughter is talking about some Riz and you got an OG. God, my age, a little bit older than me saying yo, I got Riz. Like, what are you talking about? What do you mean? This is what we're dealing with right now, bro.
Speaker 2:Sean, I mean this man, fuck these kids.
Speaker 1:Yo OG's making TikTok Dead ass and and you wanna know whose fault it is.
Speaker 2:Sean, you wanna know whose fault it is. This is what I mean about when I was talking about the OG's last week. This is your fault. You've been spending so much time Trying to assimilate and look cool when you're supposed to be doing shit like this. You're supposed to be wearing your super dad shirt and teaching these niggas Supposed to be teaching these niggas trying to look cool.
Speaker 2:Kiss my ass. The fuck are we talking about? It's like I've already spent over a year. I've already spent like like hundreds of thousands of dollars on dumb shit. Like not, not like it's dumb, but it's like no, you don't sneakers clothes. Like like I get that. Like we all want to be fresh. Like sean, both you and I are fly guys like off off this pod and it's like there's nothing wrong with being fly, but you spending so much time assimilating, you're not teaching these kids man, fuck these.
Speaker 1:Not teaching the youth, man, not teaching the youth, and you crazy thing who our culture and our genre of music? We're the only ones that do this. Rolling Stones would never go through this. You know what I mean? Dolly Parton. I saw Dolly Parton in Nashville last year.
Speaker 2:It was bonkers.
Speaker 1:It was bonkers Kids, 15-year-old to 30-year-old to 40-year-old, showing love. Showing love and respect and honor.
Speaker 2:So look more proof positive that on my 40th birthday I went home to Charlotte, north Carolina. The weekend that I went home, the Rolling Stones performed. You know what the talk of the town was Like? The entire town. Mick Jagger showed up to a local bar after the show Like just in a jean jacket and jean, it was literally the talk of the entire city. It made the fucking newspaper exactly it's like it was like lit, literally.
Speaker 2:Like it's like yes, and the heavens descended upon us and mick jagger popped up at the fucking bar after the show. People wouldn't shut up. It almost ruined my whole 40th birthday because everybody in town was talking about Mick. So damn much.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Absolutely, Absolutely and Coop. We got a super chat from CJ the Kid it says CJ.
Speaker 2:The Kid with the $5 says Blessings guys just got here. But three lettermen had a good idea Do one day for young artists and a second day for the OGs. Thoughts on that idea. What you say, sean.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm opposed to that because, again, if we're in this space, if we're saying we're in this space, right, it's on us to show love across board, because we should be able to bridge the gap between the young and the old and those in between. So I'm not opposed to it because, again, I got a 12 year old daughter. I want to understand what she's consuming musically, because we come from music family. She loves music, as I do. You know what I mean, I can't. She loves Nas.
Speaker 1:Nas is her favorite rapper of all time, of course, you know what I mean. She also, on the other side of that, she also has love for other younger artists that I may not be in tune with. So that's something that Coop and I talked about before behind the scenes, about being able to be more connected not just to an age group but more so to the genre and not just to hip hop. We have a wide range of music expertise when it comes to just everything that. We're trying to figure out a balance on how to project that as well, because we know what the audience looks and looking for as well. That as well, because we know what the audience looks at, looking for as well look here.
Speaker 2:But this is what I mean is like well, maybe our kids are just maybe, because they're our kids, sean, like as in your daughter and my daughter, maybe they're more informational. So my daughter hopped on my bed today like literally while I was getting ready for the show. She came and hopped on the bed and she was like because me and her were texting each other about the Eminem song and she's like no, dad, she's like I like the record, though I was like I expect the album to be better, but she's like yeah, but you know she was like the video's definitely better than the song. She was giving a whole announcement. She was like the video's better than the song. She was like but I like that.
Speaker 2:He stepped back into his bag and kind of went through that material. She was like because that was some of his best material. I didn't even know she had heard his early material, but she's my kid, so it's like she's grown up with me like listening to the music and stuff and she has her own ears. But she was giving me a breakdown of why she thought the song was dope, and so I understand that. You know, I mean our opinions aren't always going to be the same as a younger generation. But I mean, eminem came out like 10 years before my daughter was even born and she knows who he is and knows enough about the culture to actually do a breakdown about him, not just boo his ass. Yeah, because it's not like her. She was like, yeah, she was like he's one of my favorite artists. Actually, she was like, as far as rap goes, he makes some of the best songs.
Speaker 2:My daughter's kind of like she's, she's got a real sarcastic sense of humor so so she likes to laugh, so she relates to the, to the dark humor, because my daughter has, like you know, she's like she's like her dad. She got a little bit of dark humor to her personality. So Eminem is actually like you know, somebody who she gravitates towards. But she knows who she is, who he is. She doesn't disrespect him Like, she understands that he's a legend in this game and so this is just egregious. It's like literally one of the worst things I've seen in a while. Because I don't care how old this culture gets. We should never be okay with booing our legends. Method man and red man are legends. They are walking rap gods. They are both iconic separately and iconic together.
Speaker 1:Yeah but it's ridiculous. I want I don't want to start grabbing hold of that, because I do. I see, I think Dartmouth, I think he has a solid point, because Think about this group we grew up on a certain style of hip hop and we repositioned that as the golden era of hip hop, because we were there a lot of time when Infamous came out, when Into the 36 came out, when Illmatic it was written all of these legendary albums came out. So we got spoiled in a period where music was at a high clip and it taught us what lyricism should look like, regardless. We're in an age where that doesn't matter anymore.
Speaker 1:It's more about what makes you feel, what makes you bop, because, although we didn't live the life that a lot of rappers talked about back then, we didn't get in a car and shoot the place up and get back in the car and hide the hide the burner. We didn't do all those things. But now the kids are listening to a different type of music that moves them differently, you know, I mean so they're far removed from what we grew up on, to the point where they're looking at us like, oh, those are the old heads. They don't understand what Drake is saying on the joint, or what Sexy Red is saying on the joint, or what have you? Do you think that's one of the reasons why the meth and red thing just didn't go the way it should have gone, because we think it should have been treated fair. But do you still think that's part?
Speaker 2:of it. So I think a's part of it, so I think a big part of it is that New York radio and media isn't doing a good job of upholding their legends, because here's the reality of the matter this generation should be more acquainted with Method man and Red Man's catalog. And they're not. And that's because, quite frankly, people aren't playing. I'll Be that they're not. And that's because, quite frankly, people aren't playing. I'll be that they're not playing Bring the pain. They're not playing tonight's the night. They're not playing how high. They're not playing. They're not playing the Rockweiler, they're not playing these records like they should Like.
Speaker 2:We're going to talk about this later when we do the Wu-Tang shit Like no, like they, randomly-tang shit like no, like they randomly. You should hear shit like shadow boxing get played on new york radio like right, that's, that's history, that's legendary stuff. It's like no, you should. You should be hearing that ice cream should be getting played with meth on the hook. Creams should be getting played. So you should be doing these things, you know. And so this is what I mean. I'm starting to realize our generational problem is not only these punk-ass kids don't know any better. It's that the OGs didn't do their job. Fuck these punk-ass kids, yo man.
Speaker 1:Yo AG, what up man. You know Yacht Hero, coop's called him man. Yo AG, what up man? You gotta hear what Coop's called man. He's calling all the kids.
Speaker 2:It's like every week I got to go put somebody in check.
Speaker 4:Yo man, what's up? Wu-tang is for the children, but tonight we not for the children, right?
Speaker 1:Man, fuck these kids. We need to. Here's what I want to do. No, somebody need to.
Speaker 2:Here's what I want to do. No, somebody need to treat these kids the way they treated Meth and Red Nigga. Fuck you. How about that?
Speaker 1:What we need to do is bring in.
Speaker 2:Hope they rob your ass on the train going home.
Speaker 1:Yo, man, check it. We need to bring in one of our younger audience members on the show and just have them debate us about this. Have them talk, tell us why you know why we tripping. Let them explain to us why we tripping. Let them go at you, coop, and see what happens. Let's see what's going on Because, yeah, coop is cooking the kids. Yo hashtag that tonight on Twitter. Coop cooking the kids Hashtag that tonight on Twitter.
Speaker 2:Think about this when you're saying that Sean, I know you got Soul used to get played on the radio in New York you know what I'm saying. Love's Gonna Get you by KRS-One used to get played. Children's Story by Slick Rick is a intelligent, cautionary tale and one of the greatest rap stories ever and so the media and the radio up there does have something to do with that, but it's like.
Speaker 1:It's payola now Because you think about the Summer Jam lineup. They're not catering to the legacy anymore, they're catering to the algorithm. Right now, the algorithm tells them sexy red should be your headliner at Summer Jam.
Speaker 3:Do y'all remember 2001 Summer Jam?
Speaker 1:I do Because I was at Summer Jam 2001 when Jay went on stage and said Axe Nas, he don't want it at home. No, I was in the audience like whoa we about to fight, because it was that crazy.
Speaker 2:There's nothing wrong with sexy red headlining the act, but what I'm saying is is, if the radio up there played whatever man, there's a lot wrong with that, yeah. Like if they were playing whatever man, and tonight's the night and time for some action, like they should. Yeah, yeah, wouldn't be a problem. Yeah, yeah, wouldn't be a problem, yeah, and now we got these punk-ass kids running around because we didn't do it, man.
Speaker 1:Oh man, yo, I can't do this. Yo, ag, did you say fuck the kids too, like I want to know. I don't know where we're going with this.
Speaker 4:I mean, you know, in simple terms, I just don't think that Meth and Red should have been on the same bill. You know what I mean? Because once I saw the rest of the lineup, I was like whoever booked that? Um, like cameron said when he was on cnn, like who was in charge of booking this?
Speaker 4:you know what I'm saying like, so I you know I think this whole fiasco should have been avoided. You know what I mean by. You know, I think if they had to wear with all the schedule, you know, either either all the youngins together or, you know, maybe do another day with the Legacy Acts or whatever. I mean we do need to bridge the gap some. But you know, method Red stuck out on that lineup like a sore thumb, like I mean they shouldn't have did that.
Speaker 1:Like how did they even get announced.
Speaker 2:Like I got the message, I didn't even watch the clip. It's like how did they get announced? Like I got the message, I didn't even watch the clip. How did they get announced? Did they get announced? Hip-hop legends and icons Method man and Red man are about to hit the stage. You feel me? They didn't get any of that, ladies and gentlemen, method Red.
Speaker 1:They came out there, doom, doom, doom. When they did the dance I was like yo, this is about to be nasty.
Speaker 4:When they came out there, it was like yo, this is about to be nasty. They probably felt like they had to do that for real.
Speaker 2:I just realized that I'm saying fuck these kids wearing a Super Dad shirt. They got.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry, bro. I'm sorry, I don't want to see nothing.
Speaker 4:red, do that dance bro, they came out there and they did the train dance or whatever.
Speaker 1:I'm't want to see Beth and Red do that dance and they did the train dance or whatever. I'm like oh, don't do that, Just be cool. The kids are going to look at them and think it's cool. I'm going to be honest with you. I'm just trying to play devil's advocate to Cooper.
Speaker 4:To me, it didn't matter what they did, man, it was going to be a bad situation regardless hell books, hell books.
Speaker 1:You're right, coop is a mess me the hashtag coop is a mess?
Speaker 2:no, they're a mess, like, like, imagine doing, like, imagine doing this shit. If, like, the real wu-tang clan would have showed up. It's like, no, like, no, we got hold on, we got cj kid with another five dollar super chat. He says I know it's not the same, but when it comes time for artists to freestyle on the radio tonight's tonight is one of the main beats they freestyle to no like, I get that, but you understand that it's something deeper than a beat that you freestyle to do. You understand that's one of red man's classic singles and because red man is an icon and a legend that like, maybe you, you should think about playing that record a little bit more so he doesn't get booed by these punk-ass kids about the Kexta train because they don't even have a fucking car yet.
Speaker 1:Yo man.
Speaker 2:Summer Jam got to do better.
Speaker 1:They should have went down to the Roots picnic. Honestly, down the road to the Roots picnic that audience would have been more accepting. If I think so, I think that audience would have been a little bit more accepting to Red and Meth at this time Because, man, when I saw that dance I just I cringed, I'm going to go on lock. I saw that dance in real life, like in a concert, and I was like yo, they shouldn't be doing that dance, no more. It just doesn't fit no more at all. It just doesn't fit no more.
Speaker 2:With much respect to Red and Mel, I guess let's kind of keep it Wu-Tang. Can we go to the bar seminars that we posted today, as we should? Absolutely More Wu-Tang, look, I hope New Yorkers don't boo this bar seminar by inspecting the deck and ghost face Fucking kids.
Speaker 1:We don't want to start.
Speaker 2:You want to start with Deck or Ghostface. I'm going to let AG take the lead, since he wasn't here to jump it off with us. Ag, go ahead. However, you want to run it, man.
Speaker 4:You want to start AG. I think it was apropos that we chose both of the verses. Shout out to Coop for the idea, because Riz is on record as saying that he thinks impossible is the greatest woo verse ever. Spit, and if you ask a lot of wu-tang fans they'll probably tell you that triumph, uh, inspector deck verse is the best verse that you know. Anybody from the woo ever spit.
Speaker 4:You know those two came off the same album you know, which is just sell it. Uh celebrated an anniversary on the 3rd of June. So, um, you know those two albums are. I mean, those two verses are heavy, you know. Impossible, you know they really lend to who the artist is. Impossible really leans into who Ghost is as a storyteller right and everything he says. You can visualize it. You know it's an intense verse. And then Dex's verse lends to who he is as a lyricist, with the you know acrobatics, with the wordplay and all that. So I just think that those are two verses that are great representation, you know, of each artist and as the Wu-Tang you know, in a whole.
Speaker 2:I agree. I think that it's very, very rare that you get an album like this that really does have two of the greatest verses of all time on one album and it's on back-to-back songs on disc two Triumph is track two. Impossible is track three. Good point, and I think what I really think about when I think about these two verses is that they actually show how diverse and unfuckwittable Wu-Tang Clan at their peak was.
Speaker 2:Fuckwittable Wu-Tang Clan at their peak was because one song is what I like to call your classic scientific rhyming that Rakim popularized, that changed the craft of emceeing with the triumph verse from Deck I bomb atomically Socrates, philosophies and high prophecies. You know it doesn't get any more classic scientific rhyming than that, than a prime Rakim. As far as a verse is concerned. It is the verse is very peak Rakim-like. To go back to the conversation, sean, we had last Saturday about the tree that exists because of Rakim.
Speaker 2:But on the other side you have the street sensibilities and storytelling ability of Ghostface, you know, and so you realize that within this crew they had guys that could give you birth of the year stuff, different types of ways, and that's what made them so special. It's like these are greatest verse of all time type of candidate verses, but they couldn't be any more succinctly different in terms of approach, thought process, bar work and delivery. And for a team to come along that can have that type of diversity and exist in some sort of cohesion is as rare and as special as it gets. And so I see the depth of the crew from those two verses and it's like it really comes down to. It's like well, what, what do you like more? Do you like storytelling and street shit or do you like that classic bar work, scientific rhyming? It is the type of thing that you can stand on the corner all night not just Coop's corner but any corner and debate it all night, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Yo Redadek says explosion when my pen hits tremendous. I'm like what in the world is this? I'm 17 years old, dissecting this verse bar for bar, line for line, trying to understand exactly what he went with that, what he left in that. And then Ghost comes back and tells such a detailed and intricate story that to me, that was the launch pad for, in my opinion and you guys know this that Ghost is my number two rapper of all time. Person Person.
Speaker 1:That verse I've always felt put him in a top five storytellers of hip-hop, absolutely, and I don't think he's budged out of the top five since then. In my opinion, based on the way his delivery and the emotion. You know how difficult it is as an artist to not only tell a story but back it up with emotion and you can hear the fluctuation in his voice as he's telling you the story in a rhyme and the rhyme is dope. You got a dope lyric, you got dope lyrics, dope rhymes. You have a dope story, you got emotion behind it. You have all of the things that you need to make a perfect song and go something up in a verse.
Speaker 2:I agree with you wholeheartedly, sean. I think ever since that ghost verse he's been a top five storyteller all time and has held that up with the stories that have followed very, very well and has held that up with the stories that have followed very, very well. As far as the ability to intricately write a story in hip hop and express the emotionality and the vulnerability of it, I think Ghostface is only rivaled by Scarface. I know that Nas is hip hop's best storyteller, but Nas is hip hop's best storyteller because he's hip hop's best writer. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:If we're talking about the combining of the detail oriented rhymes with emotions, ghost face and Scarface take the cake. So this is the type of verse that's really only rivaled to me by Scarface, like on this can't be life parallels that I was thinking a minute to pray, a second to Die, from his early stuff, where it's like you not only get the details of the story but you actually get the emotion that kind of take you there, not just lyrically but emotionally, takes you there. Or I've Never Seen a man Die. Would be like that too. And I'm saying those are whole songs, this is a verse.
Speaker 4:He has a lot of those.
Speaker 2:He has a lot of those. He has a lot of those too. But Ghostface did that in a verse. It's an extended verse. What is that? That's 24 bars. I don't even know that might be more than 24 bars.
Speaker 4:That might be 32.
Speaker 2:That might be a cold 32.
Speaker 4:It feels like 32. Well, let's lean into that with these two MCs that we chose for the bar seminar, because behind the scenes we talk a lot and, like I said, it's a 27th anniversary of wu-tang forever. Um, me personally, my mvp for the album just happens to be deck, edging out ghost by a little bit. But I know you two both say that ghost is the mvp of the album. So you know it shows those contrasts and I'm not mad at y'all saying that, um, ghost is the mvp, because you know I won't disagree with that at all. But for me personally, um, like you know, coop alluded to earlier, it's just all in what you're looking for. And then I think deck was the mvp because he had a lot to prove on the album and a lot of the wordplay that he exhibited on there, like even on, uh, cash still rules scary hours.
Speaker 4:The verse that he starts out my rap style swings like Billy Mays. My eyes purple haze, my soul a razor, burn through shades Like my favorite line from the whole album comes from that verse. He says the crowd seduce you, the crowd seduce you. Black your third eye before I lose you. A verbal high leaves stars in the eyes of Medusa. When I first heard that line, my mind was blown. I said yo, that's one of the coldest bars I've ever heard. Like cause you can't look at Medusa? He said. You know I'm leaving stars in her eyes Like that was insane to me. You know what I mean. But coming off the fact that he didn't didn't have a solo album, I think he came into that project feeling like he had a lot to prove. He even produced the track on the project and, um, you know, for that, you know he was, uh, my mvp. But in contrast to that, what y'all got on ghost I mean ghost says separate the english from the dutch I was thinking when he said we like Dorothy Hamill on ice we might circle.
Speaker 2:You got to do the circle.
Speaker 1:I got to circle with Joy, you might you know what?
Speaker 4:I mean Right, it's ghost friendly.
Speaker 2:But no, it's also his thought process. Who's going to use riding on like, think about this? He's talking about circling the block on niggas. He's using a white female figure skater to talking about circling the block on niggas. He's using a white female figure skater to talk about circling the block on who's thinking like this in 97.
Speaker 4:I love it, I love it, I love it but here's why ghost is the mvp to me.
Speaker 2:Like adriel, I think I think deck is the best lyricist on wu-tang forever, but I think ghost is the best mc, because ghost has the older god verse, he's got the impossible verse, he has the back and forth with ray on the mgm, he's got the last verse on bells of war, which might be my pick for my favorite song on the entire, on either one of the entire projects. You know what I'm saying so it's like what?
Speaker 2:this has. Yeah, ghost just has too much. And also, in my opinion, he's the one that bought Triumph back, because I'm not the biggest Triumph fan like everybody else. I feel like there is a little bit of a lull in the middle after Deck and Meth's verse and I feel like Ghost bought that song back to life with his energy. So there's like so many great MC performances that he has on Wu-Tang Forever. In terms of the versatility, it's like oh, you want me to go back and forth with Ray and tell a story about us at the MGM, bet, you want me to close out Bells of War, which might be the best track on the album. Bet, you want me to tell a heartfelt story. Bet, you want me to build with my 5% brothers, ray and Gizzo and Older God, I got you.
Speaker 4:What you need, I got you.
Speaker 1:Versatility is crazy, but I'm gonna tell you this cool full disclosure I'm not saying it's the best, but triumph might be my favorite hip-hop song of all time. It might be everybody. I think. Let's get to the super chats real quick, because I want us to. I don't. We're going with. Y'all know I love this conversation right here hold on.
Speaker 2:Let me get to the super chats I.
Speaker 1:I think that's all. Cj the Kid.
Speaker 2:Yeah, cj the Kid. Again he said Coop, I'm 32, from Newark, trust me, you don't have to tell me twice. Fun fact, I personally like I Can't Wait More Than Tonight's. Tonight I can see that I can see that it might be a better record. But what I'm saying is Red got plenty of joints. You know what I'm saying. I used to randomly be playing a Superman lover joint. What the fuck are we doing out here?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, he got shit for days.
Speaker 2:Yo, but Shit for days. Do what you feel with Method man oh yeah, yo, what are we doing?
Speaker 1:Here's what I would say about the, about Meth's role in Woodshank Forever. Meth was still the star. His delivery was still on some cocky on Meth shit, even when he started out on Triumph on his verse, because again, he's following behind Jack's verse. That's not an easy follow. You can't just be anybody and follow behind that verse. He saved the song.
Speaker 2:Yes, he saved the song. He saved the song in my opinion, dex.
Speaker 1:Verst.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, meth saved the song because Dex Verst is so good. In my opinion, if Meth doesn't do it again, it's like no, no, no, cut that it could be a deal.
Speaker 1:It could be a strong deal. The fact that he had so much charisma on Wu-Tang Forever to me was the key factor. He was the jack-of-all-trades. He was the jack-of-all-trades, you needed him for that, because you didn't need him to be Miracle Miracle. You had Dick for that. Also, you needed JZA to take a step back because JZA wasn't on a lot of them joints on that.
Speaker 4:That's my main complaint about the album if I have one but you needed GZA, you needed everybody else to get that shit off at that time.
Speaker 2:Okay. So here's the thing Deck has replaced GZA as the best lyricist, because GZA's the best lyricist on. Enter the Wu-Tang. Deck's the best lyricist, on, on, on forever. But and I feel you on jZA, because I'm a big jZA fan, I swear by liquid swords, but for me, what Wu-Tang forever is missing is old dirty bastard. Yes, because old dirty bastard is the x factor in taking into the Wu-Tang over the top. In my opinion, shame on a nigga. The verse on chest boxing right he literally shouted out the whole first three, four songs of his album of his Right. Him on that album, with the exception of really dog shit and Reunited, is really what hurt the album. To me, it needed Old Dirty Bastard.
Speaker 1:Where can you place it?
Speaker 4:Well, I was going to make a quick point to that. As far as the distribution of the verses on the album right, Because I was looking some stuff up, Ray got them off Correct. A lot of people don't think it should have been a double album. One of the main complaints is that it should have been a single disc. You know what I mean. But far as the breadth of stuff that they had to cover amongst 10 MCs, it was a lot. It needed to be a double album for everybody to get their shine and the density of the lyrics. But I'm going to give credit to RZA for orchestrating that because he was very diplomatic and I'm going to get to that point in a second. Rza had 12 verses on the album, but 14 if you count Sunshower, those of y'all in the chat. If y'all have never heard of Sunshower, it's a bonus track. That's on the international version. I got the CD RZA's going off for like six minutes straight.
Speaker 3:He don't get enough credit as the MC.
Speaker 4:He got 14 verses. If you count that, youtube it It'll be worth listening to. Ray got 12 verses, ghost got 11. Meth has 11. Deck has 9. Ugod has 9. Master Killer has 8. Odb has 7. Gza has 6, and Capadonna is listed as a feature but he has 5,.
Speaker 4:Right, and I agree with Coop's point about ODB. Was missing on there a lot. But what I will say about RZA's wherewithal within the clan and the breadth of stuff that they had to cover, I don't know if you guys picked up on this right, but RZA wants to always take you into everybody's chamber and everybody get a chance to shine. If you go back to 36 Chambers, meth had a solo song and then JZA had Stand in the Front as a solo song because he was already established MC right, and Meth was the star. You fast forward to forever. Deck has his solo joint because he didn't have an album. You know what I'm saying. He had the city joint and then you got like Coop talked about ODB on Doggish. You know he had that. You got even had a solo joint with Black Shampoo, which is an underrated joint that's.
Speaker 2:Black Shampoo is shit. Black Shampoo is God's best song, it's fire.
Speaker 4:But here's a caveat Ray and Ghost don't have solo songs, but they got mgm because they are always in the same chamber. Their two respective solo albums are in the same chamber and then you know, you don't get around to a a master killer solo joint until the third album, the w, where he does one um the one blood joint. So just RZA having the wherewithal to like yo, I need to take people down this chamber, this chamber, this person didn't get their shine, that shine To me. He orchestrated that beautifully and everybody got to get their you know what I'm saying? Their joints off on the album.
Speaker 1:He did. That's a great breakdown, honestly, ag, because back then I don't know if you guys heard about it in West Virginia or in Charlotte or Atlanta, but I probably didn't hear about it in West Virginia. But back then they were talking about the We'll Take Forever album supposed to be like it was supposed to be, a triple album.
Speaker 4:They were talking about a triple or quadruple? I heard triple before it was supposed to be a triple album.
Speaker 1:At one point I remember seeing the first promo for it. The crazy thing, fellas. We've never heard any other songs that leaked or fell over someplace else to be on a different song or popped up on a mixtape or anything like that. Because, remember, at this time you can, you know, a AG really broke it down, you know in minerals. But if you really think about it, during this time RZA was also bringing in other factions. He was bringing in Killer Army.
Speaker 1:He was bringing in Sons of man, sons of man he had Killer Priest on deck, so he had RZA was literally like maneuvering a lot of different things at one time and he was going to try to start putting those sprinkles in the elements of Wu-Tang Forever, because Wu-Tang Forever was supposed to be like the pinnacle of everything and they were going to just stop for a little while and come back here like 2000, 2001.
Speaker 2:So my feelings about it are kind of echoed by JZA who's with Old Dirty Bastard on High as Wu-Tang Get, where he says too many songs, weak rhymes is mad. Long, make it brief, son. Half short, twice strong. That's what they should have actually done for this album. Like, as much as I love Beck In the City shouldn't have made the album Visions. In my opinion, outside of Method Man's verse shouldn't have made the album Visions. In my opinion, outside of Method Man's verse shouldn't have made the album.
Speaker 2:There's shit on there that is just like do you understand who you are? Do you understand the last time you guys got in a room and made an album together? It's the most innovative rap album we've ever heard. Arguably, in my opinion, it's the most innovative rap album of all time, in addition to being one of the 10 best rap albums of all time. Like, it holds both of those titles. It's a top 10 rap album and our most innovative piece of work. Like do you understand what it's like opening up into the Wu Tang? What the fuck is the mystery of chess boxing? Wu Tang clan ain't nothing to fuck with. What does cream stand for? Bring the ruckus. They made a song called shame on a nigga Right.
Speaker 4:I think shame on that nigga right? I think I think with the uh, the density of the lyrics, they really couldn't do that in a single album because they doubled down on a lot of the five percent talk and it was just so dense compared to 36 chambers and it would have been hard to do and remember.
Speaker 1:This is off the heels of them dropping great solo albums. This was, this was a lead-up. The only thing that I wish that would have happened if Dick would have been able to get his album off right before Wu-Tang Forever, or maybe right after.
Speaker 4:Wu-Tang Forever. So, but in the oh, go ahead.
Speaker 1:Sean my fault I was just going to say, because everything that we saw from 36 Chambers to Wu-Tang Forever, they had to bundle that and put that in Wu-Tang Forever. They had to bundle that and put that in Wu-Tang Forever. It couldn't be a solo, it couldn't be a one CD thing. It had to be at least 15 to 20 tracks.
Speaker 2:Well, here's what really happened the time between Into the Wu-Tang and Wu-Tang Forever. Half the fucking team became legitimate stars, absolutely Like when Into the Wu-Tangang is getting made. None of these guys are stars, but now meth is a star, big star. Dirty's a big star. Dirty's already a legend just for the food stamp thing on mtv.
Speaker 2:You know, I'm saying like ray and ghost. Ray and ghost are walking around like they're like literally walking icons walking around in 97 because of the purple tape and iron man. Like you know what I'm saying. Like this is the time people may forget this. Like this was the time when everybody was fiending for an inspected deck album. He might have been the hottest mc in the streets. Like so jizzhead drop liquid swords was like a certified classic. Like the biggest problem with liquid swords is that it came after, after the purple tape. People would be talking about liquid swords as a top 10 15 album, if not for the purple tape, most likely. And so, like you have to understand, like five or six of these guys are big and riz is big too. It's hard fitting all those egos in the room when you've just been fitting them in the garage or in the basement and in the bathroom and now, like niggas, is unused to having money got classic project classic songs, collaborations.
Speaker 2:it's hard, and so I think, for what they were faced with, they did an excellent job, but its biggest problem is that it's the follow-up to Enter the Wu-Tang.
Speaker 4:The anticipation was crazy. But what I will say? I treat Forever to me Forever. I favor more than 36 Chambers, but I know that 36 Cham chambers is better.
Speaker 2:You know, I can compartmentalize.
Speaker 4:For like For forever. I think that you know how people say it was written. They prefer it over Illmatic. That's how I am with Fultain forever. And the reason being is I look at I'm gonna make this parallel real quick I feel like Illmatic and 36 chambers Are the diamonds that's found in the rough. You know what I'm saying. They're still diamonds, but they cover by the grit and grime, but they're still diamonds. I feel like Forever and it Was Written, is the diamond all shined up you know what I'm saying, ready to present to the masses for mass consumption and to be out of here. It's got that polish on it. You know what I mean. And Wu-Tang Forever did what? Four mil, it did quadruple platinum, right, something like that and did like 600.
Speaker 1:One million the first week, 600, 700 the first week.
Speaker 4:Yeah something to a million and Sean, you will remember this because you're a sneakerhead Back then they used to drop Jordans on Wednesdays and sneakerhead back then they used to drop Jordans on Wednesdays and the new releases were on Tuesdays back then. So we used to skip school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to go get the you know what I'm saying. Go get the J's on Wednesdays, the new releases on Tuesdays. Everybody had Wu-Tang fabric. It was a must cop. You had to have it before lunch, for real it was everywhere I left school.
Speaker 2:Willie CDs was right up the street from West Charlotte on before lunch. It was everywhere I left school. Willie CDs was right up the street from West Charlotte on Bates Ford Road. I left school to go get Wu-Tang Forever.
Speaker 4:Absolutely. Came back to school Park. A lot bumping that reunited.
Speaker 1:It was the speaker, it was a requirement.
Speaker 2:Hold on, let's get to a couple of super chats and then I kind of want to wrap up with a couple of thoughts before we bring. I Am God on CJ the Kid again with the $5.
Speaker 2:Holla says would you say Kappa replaced Old Dirty on Forever but didn't fill the shoes properly? No, because there is no filling Old Dirty Bastard's shoes. That's what I'm talking about. There is no filling his shoes. You can't do that. He, more than any other MC I've ever heard could, more than any other mc I've ever heard could really just beat you off of his style, absolutely like he could beat you on style alone. Um, cj kid, one more time. If you guys had to sequence a disc, one forever album, with the same number of tracks as 36, which tracks would you choose to be on the single disc, cj kid? We don't have time to cover all that today that's a good question.
Speaker 3:That's actually something that we can actually get back no, no, no, no, I've actually done this.
Speaker 2:No, I've actually done this before. So it's like I would love to sequence like Wu-Tang Forever for 13 tracks. Because here's the thing I think if you make Wu-Tang Forever 13 tracks, I do think you have something comparable to Enter the Wu-Tang, but real quick. Ag like to your rebuttal. I know that they're more polished on Forever and they're more evolved as mcs, but enter the wu-tang. For enter the wu-tang is one of those few rap albums where damn near every song on there, like we know, the album is classic and it plays like a classic, but most of the songs on there are classic like let's go to something like clan in the front.
Speaker 2:Clan in the Front is stellar. That might be the sixth or seventh best song on that album. At best you were sitting on an all-time great rap album. These songs are classic. Chess Boskin is a classic. Cream is a classic Method man. Protect your Neck. Can it All Be so Simple? Seventh Chamber Bring the Ruckus. Think about it. Bring the Ruckus and clan in the front aren't even like top five. Six, seven songs on this album. That album is got too much classic materials and very few albums have that many classic songs to go with their classic status. Like almost every song by itself is a classic and the album plays like a classic, and so that's what I would tell you. The difference is it's like wu-tang forever has a lot of classic stuff but it doesn't hit at the clip. You know it's like it's like target practice and it's like how many times did you hit the mark? It's like, well, we got 13 songs.
Speaker 2:We hit the mark about 10 times every time every time it's like you hit the bullseye 10 out of 13 times, whereas on wu-tang forever, it's like oh, you hit the bullseye like 13 out of 27 times.
Speaker 4:It's different, the mathematics is different well, real quick, before we get I am in here. I will say to that just real quick a thought. I think it's the impact of it that you know why I hold it so high, um, in the pantheon of like hip-hop double albums. Objectively I probably will put it second, slap boxing with um, all eyes on me. But I would think I think that biggie's life After Death is first. But you know, out of all the hip-hop double albums, wu-tang Forever happens to be my favorite. But objectively Biggie's is the best.
Speaker 2:I would push back on that too and tell you that there are more classic songs on disc one of All Eyes on Me than on the entire Wu-Tang Forever.
Speaker 4:Well, it's this two that kind of throws off all eyes on me for me. But the thing real quick, before we move on. The reason why I hold Wu-Tang Forever so high, because it's the pinnacle right To me, it's like a coronation, you know, because RZA had the five-year plan that started in 92, say yo, let me drive this bus and for five years I'm going to take y'all to number one, which he achieved. That, you know, with the album.
Speaker 4:But after that everybody's career for the most part went downhill and I look at it as like being a high school graduation or coordination, where somebody's mapping your life out for you, you know, like your parents, and then after that you have to go find your own way, whether it be with a career in college or what have you, and sometimes people always don't make it. You know what I mean. So I think Wu-Tang Forever was that like that graduation ceremony, that grandiose thing that happened, and then afterwards, when everybody went their own way, it didn't quite look the same after that. So you know that was the pinnacle for me.
Speaker 2:So let me contextualize how I feel about it, since I actually have a daughter that's approaching her senior year and has a wonderful GPA my son is too.
Speaker 2:So look, so you'll understand this AG. My daughter has the grades to get into an institution like Georgia Tech or a Vanderbilt, and so I've been stressing to her that, because of what she is capable of, because what she has shown, it's like no. It's like we've been talking colleges already this summer. It's like I'm like, well, why would you even consider this school when you have the grades and the resume? Like my daughter, my daughter works two jobs and almost has a 3.8 GPA and has been involved in activities the entirety of her time. Like she is wonderfully well-rounded and suited to go to a high-level institution.
Speaker 2:I'm like, why would you look at that school? Like, like, why would you go there? And so my thing with Wu-Tang Forever, it's like no, it's like they're too well-rounded and too much too many of those guys are still at their peak of MCs for that album not to be considered a top 2025 rap album with me, because to whom much is given, much is expected. And so I just feel like, as great as the album is and this seems crazy saying this it still didn't live up to expectations.
Speaker 4:They were pretty lofty. They were pretty lofty To whom?
Speaker 2:much is given, much is respected when Method man, old Dirty Bastard Raekwon, ghostface Killer GZA and Inspector Dex are part of your crew and RZA is doing the beats. No, I expect a top 2025 rap album and anything else it's not going to do. It's not.
Speaker 4:We talked about Hot 97. Well, you all did about the whole situation with Method Redman, whole situation with Meth and Red man, but I think the band on Hot 97 in New York and I know we don't have time to go down this rabbit hole, but I think that hurt them majorly with the album, I think it would be lauded more if that band didn't happen, I think the album would be lauded way more than even what it is, as classic as it is.
Speaker 2:I agree they should have been playing Triumph and it's Yours more and all that, absolutely. I do want to say something right quick before we bring I Am God in, click, like and subscribe to our page and, if you're an OG, send this episode to these punk ass kids, yo man.
Speaker 4:Show them your shirt Kool no.
Speaker 2:Man, I'm serious, serious. If you a real OG, send this episode, click, like and subscribe. Like the page, like our shit, but send this episode to these punk ass kids. Man, fuck these kids bring.
Speaker 1:I am God on like and subscribe and hashtag. Cooper's going crazy on.
Speaker 2:Twitter. My daughter got a 3.8. You niggas got a 2.5. You're not getting into any institution with this hip-hop knowledge Going to community college nigga.
Speaker 1:Yo Stacks edited that Yo Koop. Matter of fact, before I go Koop words represent him and him only. This is how I represent myself for AG or hip-hop talk, koopas is all man. So if y'all want to smash that Koop, go ahead and smash that Koop as well. That's Frank. I have a.
Speaker 2:God on. My new hashtag is fuck them kids. We got him rolling already.
Speaker 4:I don't think, I just come in to bro.
Speaker 3:What's up fam? What up with y'all? Sean, ag, coop, salute y'all. What up with it, man? Salute to the chat man. What up with it, chicago? In here, y'all already know I am God, sean, sean. What's good, bro? Hey, I can't call it man. More suede, bloodstained suede 2.5. We about? You know what I'm saying, about what.
Speaker 3:A week away, you know what I'm saying, june 14th. Shit, we got the drink where L's are Heavy's the head. You know what I'm saying. That shit going crazy. I'm about to hit y'all with one more, lucy, before we roll out the project tomorrow with this Bloodstained Suede 2 remix. You know what I'm saying? That shit is a monster. Hey, man, bring a snack, get comfortable, because that shit is eight minutes of nothing but motherfucking mind-blowing bars for that ass on my soul. You know what I'm saying. So be ready, we're? We gonna let that one fly, probably tomorrow around like noon. You know what I'm saying, between noon and one. You know what I'm saying. So be on the lookout for that. But shit other than that, bro, just living. You know what I'm saying. Maintaining and shit. What's good with y'all?
Speaker 4:yo, man, we just want to say we're privileged over here at Hip Hop Talks. We've had the project for what you know, a little over a week. Now We've got a chance to dissect it a little bit. So we appreciate you sending it our way. You know what I mean. That was love right there, man. We appreciate that.
Speaker 3:I'm an old school. I ain't going to say old school, I'm old school at heart. I'm a throwback artist. You know I was raised on the niggas from the 90s and the early 2000s and that then you know I'm saying you will give the respectable, respected hip-hop media that advanced copy. You know I'm saying so they can collect their thoughts and you know they could. You know I'm saying wax poetic about it when the time, when the time came. So you know I'm saying that's all that it is.
Speaker 1:I respect y'all you know the respect is mutual.
Speaker 2:So, like I'm gonna like share something that I shared when we started this show.
Speaker 2:An artist of your caliber is my reason for wanting to exist in this space. Because and not just me I felt like me and members of my crew and other cats that I've done stuff with over the years when it was when we were bubbling under, trying to get over like you're currently doing. I didn't feel like we got a fair shake from the way the hip hop media worked at the time and I told myself that if I could do anything in this space, it would be support guys and girls like you like, who are super talented. Since I've been in the podcast world which is four going on five years now you are probably you and Armin are my favorite independent artist, and Armin has Scott Storch behind him, and so when I hear somebody of your caliber, I feel like that somebody the caliber of a Scott Storch or greater needs to get behind you, because that's what I hear you know, and so when I hear your shit, it's like you don't understand. You and your crew make me want to rhyme again.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying? That it right there. That's the key. If you make a motherfucker that used to rhyme or just ain't rhymed in a minute when motherfuckers say that that's, you got something right there. Yeah, like it's not just.
Speaker 2:It's not just you, it's your crew. That makes me want to rhyme and so when I hear somebody, like you.
Speaker 2:It's like I'm like this shit right here is what we're in it for. It's like we can talk about the guys and the girls who have already bubbled over for days upon days. Whoever got now, I want to be a part of whoever got next, and I feel like you're one of those people who have next, and so can you tell the people where the title just Blood, Suede, Stain come from? Like can you just give people the breakdown of what that means and what that represents for you?
Speaker 3:So the Blood Suede Stain theme is representative of myself and Clipto. Shout out to Clipto. He is the producer, the sole producer, of all three installments soon to be three installments of the Blood Suede Stain series, starting with Blood Suede Stain 1. And when we first connected, he was sending me a lot of lush, lavish, soulful, polished loops. You know what I'm saying. Shit that I wasn't really rapping on, my shit was more so gritty, boom bap. You know what I'm saying Hard. And I actually struggled. You know what I'm saying, writing this shit at first. And I had to snap out that shit like bro, what is you doing? Like you were. You're an artist. You know I'm saying do that shit. And you know so.
Speaker 3:Klepto represents the suede. You know I'm saying the smoothness, the lavishness, and with my aggressive style, my tonality, my um, my content, I represent that bloodstain. You know I was sitting in the crib thinking about like, damn, like what, what dope ass phrase or word could I come with to represent something dirty and grimy, but still something polished and lavish and smooth. You know what I'm saying. And suede came to mind over here and blood came to mind over here. So I was like, oh, bloodstained suede, it should just click, you know what I'm saying. So here we are, more suede, bloodstained suede 2.5.
Speaker 4:suede bloodstain, suede 2.5. You know that's, that's fire. Because that was actually one of my questions, bro, I was going to ask you about um clip those, um production, how it was so soulful if he was involved in any of the you know um picking out of the samples or if he just, you know, chopped up and looped the soul and then send it to you. You know because know you're from the shy, so it wasn't any type of any type of drill and you know it wasn't. This project is not heavy on the boom bap side of things, it's really soulful on every track. So how involved were you in the process with you know some of those samples?
Speaker 3:The only thing that I gave any input on was the remix, the Blood Stains Way 2 remix. I told them, bro, I don't want motherfuckers to rap to the same exact beat. You know what I'm saying. I want the same beat but find a different loop or something like that to use, because, again, I'm a throwback artist. So when motherfuckers did the remix, they did the remix. You know what I'm saying. It was dope. I don't want to put out no remix where it's like you could have kept that shit like the first one, way better than that. You know what I'm saying. Like, if I'm going to do a remix, especially to a joint, in my opinion as raw as the title track, the Bloodstained Sway 2, that. But Klepto is a monster, bro. He a dog. You know what I'm saying. He a motherfucker that need little to no input for what he do. He just was sending me shit and them joints was hitting. You know what I'm saying Hitting.
Speaker 2:So I have a statement that I want to make and then I'm going to ask another question, because I actually wanted to talk about the intro to Blood Sweat and Stain too. First of all, if you were struggling to write to these beats, niggas is really in trouble. Niggas is really in trouble. If you were struggling to write to these beats, because when I hear you on these records, you are skating and it's like I was telling people a couple of weeks ago when you had sent me the advance, I was like yo, I was like it's flow has gotten sicker and so, like you and Klepto, this time around, I feel like y'all have kind of like synchronized and come together even better than the first project, just in terms of the approach and the attack.
Speaker 2:The intro to the album, I feel like, is the best intro to an album that I've heard all year album. I feel like it's the best intro to an album that I've heard all year and I noticed something about you. Yeah, it's the best intro to a rap album that I've heard this year, like, uh, what's it called? Wise souls wise souls, is it right? Yeah, yeah, when you were, you were skating on this. I just want to talk about some of you and jews bar work on here.
Speaker 2:You say y'all accept everything, but accountability can't maneuver through obstructions without agility. So I hear somebody that not only is a classic spitter, like a throwback, like you would say, but you actually have some positivity and a message to your records and so for the first time when I'm hearing you, I'm realizing it's like he's from the same city. As calm and from the same city is yay, like you have a social consciousness. There's a social consciousness a lot of the time to the Chicago music that's coming out, do you? I mean, I know you've talked about, you know those guys being idols of yours, along with other Chicago emcees, but is it your focus when you're making records to have like a message?
Speaker 3:Because I feel like it's something that's coming out naturally in the process of you writing yeah, I don't pick and choose when a message is going to be, uh, given, you know it, just like you said, it should just come. I I very rarely, um, premeditate what I do when I, you know I saying craft and write a song or write a verse. Literally, this shit just come. You know what I'm saying, like. I like to call it sort of like a divine intervention because it's no plan, it's no, you know, it's no plot or scheme. You know what I'm saying to what I want to do. I literally go wherever the beat take me and that just come from.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying me being who I am, that's how a motherfucker could know that my music is authentic. You know what I'm saying to who I am as a person. I never wanted to be too much space in between Tobias West and I am God, like he is I and I am him. They one and the same. This ain't no mask or a character I put on when I step in the booth. You know what I'm saying. No-transcript of your surroundings and just life in general and society in general. How could you not have a message? You know what I'm saying. It's a message in everything. You know what I'm saying Like, even if the message is negative, what kids say, it's a message in everything, even a bullet, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:So it's a message in everything. It's just all about do you have the foresight to be able to analyze it, break it down and pick it apart if it don't jump out right at you?
Speaker 1:I got a question about that.
Speaker 4:Go ahead, Sean, Go ahead.
Speaker 1:Sean. What's up, bro? Appreciate you, bro. I got a question about that because that made me think about something. I was writing my notes down just now. How do you get yourself into that mode to start writing? Because, to Kool's point on that intro, and I'm thinking about the flow and the sequencing of the actual album itself, and it seems as if, like you're ramping up as you go along in the project, so many artists they taper off as the album goes. But it feel like he was ramping up, like he was finding a groove, and when you found that groove you start hitting it. Like Paul, you start really hitting it. Is there a certain process that you go through from song to song? If you listen to one song, it's okay. I feel a good pocket here. That's going to inspire me to go here. What does that look like for you?
Speaker 3:oh man, I appreciate that much gratitude. But to answer that first part, that's just a trick of the trade when it comes to sequencing because, honestly, it's only like two fairly new songs on this project. The other five were songs that was created either during the time of bloodstained sway one or during the time of bloodstained sway two, so that's just a product of sequencing. I love sequencing, you know. I'm saying I feel like you don't have a complete official project if it ain't sequenced right. I don't even fuck many bangers you got, how many classic joints you've got, if it's not sequenced right, it ain't gonna hit, it ain't gonna come off right. I'm super big on sequencing, bro. So, um, to answer the question even further, um, I do take any, uh, every song as an individual task or mission. You know what I'm saying. However you want to put it, and I try to custom fit. I try to custom fit each flow or you know the content for that particular. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:Joint Salute to the homie Jarv and Ms AOB, I see y'all. But it's just, yeah, like that should just, it just come natural. And I'm not trying to make it sound like it's easy. It is easy but at the same time, like I struggle too you know what I'm saying Like I don't get to write all the time. I don't want to write all the time. I need to live, I need to experience shit. You know what I'm saying. And plus I got a lot of other shit going on outside of music, so it's kind rust off and I might start something don't like it and I won't write again for like a month or two. You know what I'm saying. But when that, when that energy, that, that, that, that, that energy hit and it started flowing and my mind is moving, I know I it's time to put the pen in a pad or the finger the screen. You know what I'm saying. So that's the best way I could explain it, bro. Dope ass question. I appreciate it.
Speaker 4:Before I my question, I just want to piggyback off what all three of you fellas said real quick. I like how you said what the project consisted of, because I saw you post on Twitter before that it was some old song sprinkled in with some new. So it's kind of essentially like you're lost tapes but you're sequencing it. You're treating it like an album, so to speak, and how you sequence it and add new stuff to it and it sounds like a, you know, a fresh, new body of work. So I really appreciate that. And then, piggybacking off of what Coop said about Wise Souls for the intro, my favorite bars on the whole project come off that song you say we all grown, grown. I ain't baby and no adults. You ain't getting nowhere in life being lazy in your approach, how we grew up amongst the wolves yet, amazingly, grow a goat, I ain't made it to the stadiums filled with patrons that know the quotes. That's my favorite bars on the whole project. Like that was that. That hit hard for real. So I just wanted to say you know that that song, you, it was a crazy way to open the album, but with the BS2 remix, you know, I just want to say I appreciate you bringing the posse cut back because you had tweeted about that as well, and then you picked some dope MCs to be alongside you on that and, as Coop knows, this is something we talked about on the show previously. So we're big on, you know, dope posse cuts and that's something we haven't got in a while. So I just wanted to salute you on that.
Speaker 4:But the question that I have for you is how important was it? Track number four Never Forgot that's kind of like your mantra Chicago never forgot how to rap On track number four how important was it to you to rap on track number four? How was it? How important was it until you to do a track that has sniping? You know what I mean Because you know that's. That's a shot town. You know, even Kanye said it on drink champs that's a shot town. You know flow pattern. So how important was it for you to show that? You know I can do this over here, but I can also do this. You know, as an MC. You know, keep it true to the Chi-Town roots.
Speaker 3:That's another. That's another like cheat code for me, because I started off doing that you know what I'm saying way before I adopted the slow flow. You know I'm 86, so you know in the mid-90s when Twista you know what I'm saying really rose to notoriety amongst other Chicago legends I'm like 10 at the time so I didn't know what the fuck he was saying. I used to be running around the hood mumbling until I had, until my cadence was so raw I wasn't saying shit. But motherfucker was like oh shit, shorty, how you know that shit. Like he cold as hell. So I actually started off rapping fast, like that. You know I'm saying so.
Speaker 3:Twister was everything, bro. Like I can't even put into words, like how important twister was to me. It is to me as well as the city of chicago and other places. You know I'm saying like, bro, that verse on um pope hemp, bro, that's like one of the coldest verses ever, bro. Like like if you hit twister, talk about his um, the time and period he was creating adrenaline rush. You know he said something like he felt like he was the best rapper on the planet at that time. He was rapping like it and like it's a lot of people that front on a double time flow or chopping or whatever you want to call it.
Speaker 3:But in my opinion there's no comparison to twister, unless you probably, as far as like clarity and like the intricacy of the rhymes. No, I throw tech nine. Enough tech nine. He he has uh incredible um uh bars and content. I'll throw cricket in there. Um, no disrespect to bus, but I feel like bus do a lot of syllable piecing together to fit into those spaces.
Speaker 3:With twister you could slow his shit down and it'd be some of the most intricate shit that you ever heard. You know what I'm saying. So it's like I'll put twister at the top of that. You know what I'm saying. And shout out to motherfuckers like snipers crucial conflict do or die. Um psychodrama brat. You know I'm saying infamous syndicate shauna atifa. It's like that's very important because even though we on this new chicago shit it ain't nothing old about the generation before us, you know I'm saying like they still a heavy influence on me to this day. So definitely, I definitely got to rep for the crib and let motherfuckers know where that come from and that we still standing on that type of business out there. That's what's up sure, okay so.
Speaker 2:So ag and I didn't piece our questions together, but they're coming together wonderfully, because one of the things that I kind of noticed about this project is, I think when somebody is a great lyricist, like you are, they get tagged with being an east coast mc, and I feel like you double down on the shy on these tracks and I love that because I feel like you're letting niggas know it's like no, no, no.
Speaker 2:We got real hitters and real spitters out here in Chi-town and that appeared to be a focus of yours with this track selection and sequencing as well. Uh. So I have a few questions about it. Was that intentional for one? Um, do you feel like chicago gets enough credit for having, like, a traditional lyrical style, even though delivery may be double time, flow, content wise and lyrically speaking, does the shot, does the shot not get enough credit? And and I want to talk about like where that fits in with your crew, but I can get to that after you answer like that one, uh. So the first question repeat that one to me real quick the first part.
Speaker 3:Well, I just want to talk about, like, where that fits in with your crew, but I can get to that after you answer like that one. So the first question repeat that one to me real quick.
Speaker 2:The first part. Well, I just want to feel like if it was intentional that you made sure that you were repping Chi-Town and provided more of a Chi-Town flow with your traditional throwback lyricism on this album, it appeared to appear to be more of a focus to me for you to let niggas know. It's like no, I'm from the shy.
Speaker 3:we really spit in the shy, like we can get busy with anybody. There appears to be a concentrated effort with that on this project that I think shines through absolutely, because my star is starting to shine a little brighter. Um, more people are starting to tap in. So I I'm fully aware that every uh, every time I pop out is a first impression for somebody. You know I'm saying it's somebody first time listening, so I always gotta let them know what it is. And that's no disrespect to the east coast at all, because I've made mentioned plenty of times that them niggas raised me.
Speaker 3:My favorite, most of my favorite rappers is from the east coast. You know I'm saying like I grew up on the likes of naz and jadakiss and big pun and dmx and-Z you know what I'm saying and countless others, cool G. You know what I'm saying, like the list it goes on and on and on. So I'm going to forever give it up to the East Coast and show them that respect, because I wouldn't be the artist I am had I not came in contact with the music of they greats, they legends, our legends. You know what I'm saying. But it's always a concentrated effort to let motherfuckers know what it is. And that goes into me answering the second part of the question. I do not feel like that. We get the respect we deserve when it comes to our place in hip hop, and I know you phrase it a different way, but I'm going to just say our place in hip hop and I'm not going to sit here and bitch and moan and complain about it.
Speaker 2:A large part of that is our fault, and when I say I mean chicago, you know I'm saying like explain that, elaborate on that.
Speaker 3:The the legends laid it down, they established it. I'm not gonna say that, uh, the the artists after them didn't do their job as far as like submitting it. But we lend our sauce too much in chicago I feel like you know what I'm saying Like a perfect example, no disrespect. But back when that drill shit first started popping and Nicky did the Chirac shit, you know what I'm saying. Like now our bro, he did capitalize off of it. But it's been other instances like that to where motherfuckers borrow some shit from Chicago or we lend some shit from Chicago and it's a particular, certain artist involved.
Speaker 3:Niggas get that little 15 minutes of fame. They want to be local celebrities. We don't really shoot for the stars with it. And then that 15 minutes is over and it's kind of like we back to square one. Like I've rapped about this shit several times. You know what I'm saying. Like it's just something that I noticed. We not good with like capitalizing off motherfuckers coming here and borrowing shit from us. Then shit gets skewed. Then you got the internet. Unless you was there, motherfuckers don't know where shit come from. They say it's a run of jokes. Chicago niggas always say they created or started some shit. We do we be on that? We feel like we are black culture Outside of rapping hip-hop. We've given so much to black culture in this country and so got to. You know I'm saying show respect to the South for that too, because a lot of our roots is like heavily, heavily. You know I'm saying from the South.
Speaker 2:So so I'm going to respond to that last comment right quick and I don't want to cut you short. I just want to ask a quick follow up question, because what one of my questions was was that and you bought one of the rappers up that I was about to mention and the other rapper you mentioned a couple of times on your album, and that's Tech N9ne and Freddie Gibbs when I hear Tech and I hear Freddie, I actually hear that Chicago double triple time flow that you're talking about, time flow that you're talking about. Do you feel like artists like Tech N9ne and Freddie not disrespectfully, but in following generations, following a Common and a Kanye and a Do or Die and a Twister do you feel like that they have capitalized on y'all's flow more than Chi-Town artists have? Because when I hear Freddie and I hear Tech, I actually hear the Chicago double triple time flow that you're talking about and it's like, well, why aren't the chicago artists taking that back, you know, to the level that freddie and tech have taken it to?
Speaker 3:um, I'm gonna preface my answer with this I don't think that style, outside of twisting maybe bone thugs and harmony was really successful like that to you know, to uh to adopt as a main form of of rapping. If you want to play with it at nine in and you, you know I'm saying bring it out when you want to. You know I'm saying flex lyrically or whatever, cool, but everybody can't do that and make it um, um appealing. You know I'm saying I put it like that over a long period of time, twister, I felt like had the longest career with doing that. Um, like I said, I'll throw bone in there and much love to uh. Tech nine it's still me at west, you know I'm saying I'm not sure if it started in chicago or not. Tech nine from kansas, I believe kansas city. So it's like it's still a me at west thing. You know I'm saying so much respect to tech and definitely much respect to freddie, because freddie from gary indiana, that's they like our fucking first cousins.
Speaker 3:You know I'm saying so we don't front on shit like that, yeah like, that's the crib, so nah, like, and I even shouted freddie out on that joint because he is another one of them uh, mcs that like, as far as modern times, like, was able to adopt that flow and use it heavily as his primary style and capitalize off of it. You know I'm saying and and actually be successful. So no, I think it definitely ain't. No, uh, no type of feeling amongst them two. You know I'm saying like, and I ain't mad at nobody who who borrow, steal, whatever you want to call it from chicago. That's why I say it's largely in part our fault. We have to do a better job at holding our shit down. If it's our culture and it's our source, cool, it's love that motherfuckers want to adapt to it and adopt it, but we need to stand on business and make sure that we let motherfuckers know that this is where it came from and be some of the ones capitalizing off of it too. That's all.
Speaker 2:I think you're the best artist to come out of the Midwest since I first heard Freddie. I heard Freddie's first tape. The chick I used to work with was actually from Gary and had Freddie's first tape and it is straight like rapid fire flow and I do feel like you're the most talented guy that I've heard come out of that region since him, because Tech N9ne precedes both of y'all.
Speaker 3:Go ahead AG. I appreciate that that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, uh, yeah, just talking about you as an artist like you know, who just spoke spoke about um. You know, listening to your projects, the bars are definitely there. You know you got dope production, you know, behind you those things are a given. But what I do want to say is you have two things that's going to get you far, I feel like you know, in this industry.
Speaker 4:Number one I don't know if anybody ever told you, but you got a really dope rap voice. You know, I think your voice, you know, cuts through the tracks and you know, I think that's going to be something that takes you far, because you know everybody might have bars, but you got to have that X factor that distinguishes you from the next person and I think your voice as a MC is something that's going to, you know, take you a little bit further. The second thing I want to speak to is your stage presence. I've seen you post videos on your on your twitter, and you seem, you know, to be an up-and-comer. You seem really comfortable on the stage. You know performing in front of crowds. So with this new project, is it going to be any um plans on taking that project on the road?
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely. I'm thirsty I'm chopping at the bit, you know what I'm saying to get out of Illinois, and you know and spread my wings, so to speak, and start performing in other places in the country, even overseas. You know what I'm saying. A few of the guys that have been overseas already Shout out to Phil Moore, green, vic Spencer, the homie Heavy Crowns three heavy hitters, also the homie Heavy Crowns three heavy hitters. Also my homegirl, Freddie O. So you know what I'm saying. Four dope MCs out of Chicago. That's been, that's tested the waters. You know what I'm saying overseas, in Europe. So you know what I'm saying. Hopefully I could be one of the next ones, but until then, I'm going to terrorize every stage that I get a chance to grace, whether it be, you know, domestic or abroad. But yeah, like, even though I'm kind of sort of new you know what I'm saying Like I kind of re-emerged in 2020.
Speaker 3:I've been doing this for like 20 plus years, but I ain't been performing that long. I've probably been performing for like maybe 10 years and I wasn't really performing a lot. You know what I'm saying At first. You know what I'm saying. So it's kind of like um, I just realized, if you're gonna do this and to be great. I mean let's, let's start off with the phrase mc, with the title mc, like that's master ceremony crowd microphone controller. You know what I'm saying. So you gotta, it's not just about the booth, that's just one dimension. You know what I'm saying. Like you have to be nice in multiple dimensions. Again, bro, I'm a throwback artist. I really, um, I'm really trying to carry on tradition. I take cue from my predecessors. You know what I'm saying. So it's like everything that they did, I'm trying to just do and maximize and build off of it and put it down the right way for this day and age. So you couldn't be. You know, I used to watch interviews to where, like, motherfuckers used to ridicule Jay-Z because all he would do was point on stage and shit like that, and it's like he wasn't much of a performer and I watched him speak about how he changed that and evolved as a performer. Like brought up performances A lot of times, especially for now with the underground MC.
Speaker 3:That's going to sell your music. You know what I'm saying. You're going to have your core audience that's going to buy whatever you put out, whether it be vinyl or digital or CD. But for when you do start going on the road. For those that might be your first time. I can't tell you how many times like I'm very narrow minded when it comes to music. I listen to more than rap, but predominantly I listen to rap. I can't tell you how many times I've been out somewhere in Chicago before a rap show, a hip-hop show, and the last show was alternative rock and they still playing closing up. I'm like oh shit, this shit. Kind of go hard. I wouldn't give it the time of day if I was just in the car, but I'm out and I'm hearing it and experiencing it live. It's like oh shit, this shit. Dimension of this artistry. In my opinion, you've got to master both and I feel like I'm close to doing that with the stage. I'm not quite where I want to be yet, but I'm close to it.
Speaker 4:I agree and that's dope that you have the wherewithal to master that part of the craft, because I think we've all been to shows that people we thought were nice on a record and then we go to the show and then they suck live. You know what I mean. So you know the fact that you're, you know, have the wherewithal to do that, to really work on that for 10 years, the past 10 years, even though you've been rapping for, you know, going on 20, you know that speaks, you know, volumes, to who you are as an artist. So you know from what I've seen the footage, you know that's dope bro.
Speaker 2:So god, mc um, you have an elsa feature on this project called heavy is the head. Tell me how it came together with elsa. Were you all in the studio together? What is it with boxing with somebody who is on elsa level, who is considered to be an underground King of sorts, and and lyrically as precise as he is, and you stand your own Like? When I heard you rapping next to him, I was like and this is why I will walk this nigga in any yo right now because it's like, no, like like getting L's eye on a record for where you are is no small feat, but standing toe to toe and being able to lyrically match him word for word and bar for bar and cadence for cadence, that's no small feat. So tell us about heavies the head. Tell me how it came together. Tell me if you have plans on maybe opening up for elzi, like. Tell me all of that. Like.
Speaker 3:Tell me how that relationship got built and everything so that's one of them joints um to where, like, that verse was sitting around for like a minute before I even approached the ozi as I was thinking of like damn, like, who can I get on this?
Speaker 3:Like, who do I hear on this? Because I know I didn't want to, I rapped so hard on the first verse I didn't like it's one thing I don't ever want to do is like over rap. You know I'm saying I like to have a gauge of where it's like enough is enough, bro, because, like I don't care how nice you is, you can overwrap. Too much of anything is a bad thing and I don't care what we talk about, too much anything is a bad thing. So I'm like, all right, I did what I needed to do on my verse. I'm not coming back with no second verse and I really don't hear a hook on this. So who can I reach out to? So it sat for a while. Um, I put out bloodstain. I think that I might have wrote that during, like I was probably about 75 through with the writing process of Blood Stain. Sway too, um, and shout out to homie. Gq, the connector of dots. Gq, the teacher. You know I'm saying um, he, I think I spoke to him like man, I'm thinking about getting Elza, because Elza was already following me before I reached out to him on Instagram and you know I see him like in my post or whatever. So he was tapped in at least a little bit and I figured he respect what I do, if you like him posting and shit like that. So it's like I reached out to GQ GQ, no, air motherfucking body. When I say air body, I mean air motherfucking body. So I asked him to uh, you know I don like taking numbers. If motherfuckers don't don't know I got their number, I don't like to get that person. So I'm like shooting his email. And I shot him an email and he didn't answer and then he connected us through uh text message and, um, uh, he, I think I think he responded to the initial email like a little time later and you know I'm saying he gave me the price. You know I'm saying I, I got that together for him and shit. You know we just we did it like that. Unfortunately we was not in the same studio.
Speaker 3:Um, okay, um, I, I would love to open up or do a show, uh, with lsi. You know I'm saying in the future. You know I'm saying but yeah, that's one of them things the way I was, like I'm not afraid of that challenge though, like I fully understand who lsi is, but I need motherfuckers to understand who I am as well. You can tell on the track. You know what I'm saying. So it's like I feel comfortable being on the same track with anybody and I definitely mean anybody, from whatever era, whatever caliber you put them at. I'm very confident and it's not a. It's not. I don't think it's a cockiness. I say the cocky part of it for for the boss, it's definitely super brash and braggadocio in a boss. You know what I'm saying, but that's for entertainment purposes. Like no, I definitely feel like I'm one of them niggas. You know I'm saying. Like no, I feel like I'm a goat, not go at. I feel like I'm gote. I feel like I'm one of the greatest of this era.
Speaker 2:Motherfuckers just don't know who I am yet so, so, no, you, you, you supposed to feel that. Well, all high level MCs operate like that.
Speaker 3:Real quick Hoop. That shit trickles down to the niggas. That's not that nice and it becomes a cliche. So I never want to be on no cliche shit, because how many times have we all heard, man, what I'm supposed to say? I'm supposed to say he better than me, nigga, you know, you ain't nice like that and I ain't no disrespect to nigg, but you know it's levels to this shit.
Speaker 4:But we know you're a humble dude too. I think I said that on one of the previous shows that your name came up. You know what I'm saying, but when it's go time, you know what I mean. You hear it in the bars. You know what I mean, but you're a very humble guy so you ain't even got to feel bad about you know what I'm saying in the board so we got to get out of here soon with you, fam.
Speaker 2:But, um, first of all, remind people when the album's dropping and what's going on. And I got, I got one more question for you and then, uh, I don't know if ag has a question so we can close it out, but let people know, like, when the album's dropping. Like you know, plug your shit, fam. You know I'm saying we want you plugged up to all the things. You know I'm saying so let people know when the projects drop and where it's going to be available, any shows you may have coming, like all that. Like like spill the information out for the people, please, because they need to know. Like like niggas need to hear your name and like know who the fuck you are, like it's like that gratitude.
Speaker 3:So I am god and clip though more suede, bloodstain suede 2.5, the ep, a collection of all the I don't want to say throwaways, but the joints that didn't make bloodstain suede one or bloodstain suede two, plus a couple extra joints. We are releasing that june 14th. And no disrespect to you, fellas, no disrespect to the platform, salute the hip-hop talks. We will be having a listening session over at the rap round table on the day of the release, june 14th. You know what I'm saying. So shout out, the brothers over there at the Rap Roundtable Pull up. If y'all fuck with them, in my opinion it's all fam. I know it's respect with y'all too. So, yeah, we doing that. We got Heavies the Head out. Featuring El Zyda. It's available for streaming and purchase via my band camp Tomorrow. My band camp, um, tomorrow. Bloodstained suede 2. Uh, the remix, um, featuring I gotta shout out the guys, man, shout out my homie griffin, the immortal griffin. Panamera, p, jew, jilla, vick, spencer, rufus, sams and a homie water. Those all the feature artists on that joint is gonna go crazy. Make sure y'all tap in. We dropping that tomorrow, probably around like noon, between noon and one. That'll be available for streaming, if a purchase on my band camp as well the release of the project june 14th. It will be available for streaming on june 14th. Um, we got cds available.
Speaker 3:I ain't really I don't think I'm gonna do vinyl for this one this time around. I definitely got some performances coming up. Um, I think I'll be. Well, the ink ain't drowned a lot of that shit yet. But just just watch out, I'll definitely be talking about it. You know what I'm saying. When shit is, when the time is ready. Certain shit is still in the oven baking. You know what I'm saying Almost at the at the correct temperature. But yeah, man, it's all about more, more suede little stain, suede 2.5 as June 14th, streaming everywhere.
Speaker 2:So so I do want to say something right quick to what you just said.
Speaker 2:You should be previewing your album on Rap Roundtable.
Speaker 2:Due to their hard work and dedication and also my defaction from my prior pod, they are the leaders in this independent pod space right now, and an artist like you deserves to shine on the brightest of stages as possible. We've only been at this for 30, 40 days, and so I don't want anybody, like in any spaces, thinking that like us over here have any problem with you going on wraparound table Like we all had a conversation about about it behind the scenes and it's like well, no, like that's where he's supposed to go. He's the best independent guy in this space right now, and the best independent guy in the space is supposed to go to the people that are having the most traction in the independent pod space right now, and that's them right now, and so I just want to let it be known like it's all love for us and like we totally understand and like respect the decision and we want to just contribute in any way we can as a new startup to like like help your growth and help your development.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying so I just kind of appreciate that perspective, bro, because you know I'm saying I didn't think that y'all would feel no type of way, but I know where I'm at right now and I want to make sure it's respect.
Speaker 2:You know I'm saying everybody needs to be behind you, fam, like everybody needs to be behind you in the space. You know what I'm saying. It don't matter where you preview your shit. Like you're supposed to put your shit out with where it's going to get the most traction and if that's them, like that's the way the game's really supposed to go. So I just wanted to let like all the people watching know that are going to watch that. It's like, no, we don't take any issue with that over here. It's where you're supposed to be and even though I'm probably going to have to work when you're dropping, I'm going to try to pull up because, like that's what we do when we really love the culture.
Speaker 2:It's a business. 50 always said they call it the music business for a reason. I kind of want to leave with this. It's like, nigga, your crew is nice. Now you saying shit on Wise Souls because I got more bars. Nigga, I've been listening to this shit. This isn't just me putting on, this isn't just me putting on. It's like, no, nigga, I got your bars written down and you special when I'm writing your bars down. I only write the bars down for high level guys, so you saying way too much potential to be in jail rather be on the csl instead of beefing and seeing shells. We, the niggas you about to see excel. Now you have a nigga on the same track. What's it? Jew jilla? Yeah, bro. No, you tell jew when his project is done. We need him to pull up too, because I hear this, nigga, I'm about to spit some of his bars too.
Speaker 2:I feel that y'all world is mine. I spit a verse to give you goosebumps like RL Stine got you niggas feeling like Martin, seen Varnell shine.
Speaker 2:Wild Souls is crazy that's my favorite part of the album it's the best rap intro this year. It's the best start off to a rap album this year. It's like I don't think niggas understand. This is like no. When I heard that record, I don't think you understand I heard that record and I stopped and realized that I hadn't shot the shit to sean and ag yet and was like yo. I was like y'all gotta hear this shit.
Speaker 3:When God send your ass a feature, you can't let it be light. That nigga went crazy bro.
Speaker 2:No, he went crazy. So, for, as great as you are, I heard you, jilla, go toe-to-toe in bar for bar with you and it's like, oh no, when the whole crew is nice, that's that wu-tang shit and nothing but the members bro, nothing but them steppers.
Speaker 3:And when I had, when we, when I, when I came with the concept of bloodstained sway to the remix real quick I know we got to wrap it up. I was on some all about the benjamin slash, triumph type shit, like I wanted the feel of those type of joints. You know I'm saying because, again, like I'm from that era and it's like the remix was their thing back then and you really had to be on your shit and I respect all these niggas. These are my brothers. It ain't just music. I might have met them through the music, but I really fuck with these dudes as men. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:It ain't no deadbeat dads in the circle or no shit like that. I really fuck with these dudes character and these dudes as men yeah, absolutely On my soul. So it's like you would never hit me alongside inviting no shit that I don't really co-sign or stand behind or stand beside on my shit. You know what I'm saying. So it's like I have a very high I have a very high, you know expectation for everything that I do Again, because we finally starting to see some traction out here and we cannot fuck that up. We got to continue to put out the quality we've been putting out and even take that shit a step further. It ain't about staying static. You know what I'm saying. We got to be dynamic in the right way. So well to all my brothers.
Speaker 2:What's up. Well, shout out to you, man, last question, who you got in the NBA finals tonight, because the game's literally about to jump off right now, man this shit crazy bro.
Speaker 3:I don't know, man, the Celtics they've been. I don't know if they cooled off. They had a very long layover. You know what I'm saying? Had a hiatus. Yeah, it seemed like Kyrie and Luka they own one and they probably still lukewarm, if not still hot. So you know, on paper Boston look like the team that should, that should take it. But the way Luka and Kyrie again, that word dynamic, luka and Kyrie is so fucking dynamic and they got they others that Shaq like to call them playing at a high level too. So it's kind of like if I had to bet I'm not really a bet man, but if I had to, I don't like going against my right mind, but I just feel, like Boston, they should be trying to make a statement when they playing at who got the best record? Is it starting?
Speaker 2:off with Boston Boston.
Speaker 3:Boston. I feel like everybody healthy over there right.
Speaker 4:Everybody's playing Port Zingas and everything Poor Zingas coming back, yep.
Speaker 2:Yeah, everybody playing, everybody playing.
Speaker 3:I feel like Boston going to make a statement. You know what I'm saying. I feel like they've been watching and I feel like Boston going to take game one.
Speaker 2:If they don't double Kyrie, they in trouble.
Speaker 3:Hey, you heard what Drew Holliday said. I don't think that was no humble shit. I don't think he was playing no psychological warfare. You heard what Drew said that nigga Kyrie is not to be fucked with.
Speaker 2:He's not to be played with at all. Absolutely not I'm a Duke fan. I've been following Kyrie since he was in high school and Duke was recruiting him. He's been like that since he was 15 years old. He's not to be played with, especially on this stage. So we want to appreciate you for coming out, man.
Speaker 4:I just got one part of the question. Go ahead. I got one part of the question real quick. Um, you know, like clube said, much love to the other platforms, but my job here at hip-hop talks is to get an exclusive sometimes. So you know, usually when people drop a 0.5 and something, that means the next numeral is around the corner. So is, you know, a blood, blood stain, suede three, something that we can expect in the near future?
Speaker 3:it's highly likely, but I'm not gonna lie to y'all and try to make it seem like it is what it ain't. It hasn't been discussed, nor uh started on yet, but I definitely would not doubt that Blood Stain Sway 3 is coming. I don't know about this year, but hey, sky's the limit bro. Definitely, no doubt.
Speaker 2:Hey, look here. If these are your throwaways, these are the best throwaways since the Lost Tapes. The Lost Tapes better than I Am and Nostradamus Fuck what you heard.
Speaker 1:The Lost Tapes better than I and Nostradamus.
Speaker 2:That's bullshit.
Speaker 4:It's like nigga, you set up here and dropped that. I don't care. The Lost Tape technically is IM. Don't do that Coop.
Speaker 2:No, no, no. That shit says Lost Tape and it's better than IM and Nostradamus. That's what's really going on, Nigga, wait till y'all hear 2.5. It's like nigga you talking about these throwaways and old tracks. It's like, yeah, this is lost tape, shit.
Speaker 4:It's top tier material.
Speaker 3:I appreciate y'all, bro. That's love, super love. I appreciate y'all. Salute y'all, salute to the chat. Appreciate y'all for having me on man, everybody, the whole squad, even the members and the staff in the background, everybody squad, even the members and the staff in the background, all airbody man. I appreciate y'all. Thank y'all.
Speaker 2:So I want to shout out your crew, right quick. Jujilla King7, panamera P Water, griffin Vic Spencer, rufus Sims, tell niggas to pull up, tell niggas to pull up. Oh yeah, absolutely, we on it.
Speaker 3:That is you that gave me the green light. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:No, no, no. Tell niggas, pull up Like we up. Absolutely. I'm taking this section and I'm posting that shit.
Speaker 3:I'm taking this section and I'm posting that shit and I'm tagging them niggas so they'll know. No doubt, no doubt.
Speaker 2:You know my family from Youngstown, ohio, so my dad going to support Plug up. Tell niggas I said holla, yeah, time to get.
Speaker 3:Chicago back up in the mix. We've been quiet. I ain't going to say we've been quiet, but we've been known for other shit. You know what I'm saying. For way too long, Real bars is back in the motherfucking building. Know that, no doubt.
Speaker 2:Say less. Yes, sir, peace bro, salute.
Speaker 3:Peace, bro, Appreciate you bro. Yes bro, Appreciate you bro. Yes, I love peace. Y'all be smooth, yes sir.
Speaker 1:Peace. Yo, you killed that shit. I hopped through, you got to get that, so I get the one. Two punch Shout out, shout out.
Speaker 2:No doubt. Look here, that's one of those rap names. If your rap name is I am God you. That's one of those rap names.
Speaker 4:If your rap name is I.
Speaker 2:Am God, you better know how to rap nigga and that nigga can rap. No, fuck what you heard. It's like I don't do that other shit, like your name. I Am God. No, you better be able to rap your ass off that nigga can rap his ass off.
Speaker 4:That brings immediate questions into play.
Speaker 2:So, like I Am God, no, no, no, nigga, can this nigga rap? Saw his name, I was like I am god. I'm like, can this nigga rap? This is like two years ago. I'm like, can this nigga rap? I heard the nigga rap. I was like, oh, I was like the nigga can rap, rap.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you can't be no cat in a hat ass.
Speaker 2:Rapper with name on my doctor, mother goose no you know, you know, you know part of hold on just real quick, just like, so we can talk some nuance with him out. He with him, not here with us. Part of what makes him great is he is great at picking his transitional words to, uh, to, to project his rhyme scheme. That's something that Biggie was great at. Like it's not the words that he's using to end the bar, it's the transitional words that he's using in between the bars to piece the bars together. Yeah, like he's, he's great at that. That's one of those things that separates a good MC from a greate is your transitional bars. He has transitional bar work in addition to the heavy hitting bars, the storytelling bars and the lyrical bars and the punchline bars. Like he is the total package.
Speaker 4:Like that's an intangible. That's an intangible, you can't teach.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, that's what. That's why I asked him the first question. I asked him it's like, do you think of it when you write? Because when you nice, it comes and you don't have to think about it like the niggas. It's really, really nice if you were to go back and ask them. It's like when kane did drink champs, kane was like I didn't even realize what I was doing, I was just doing what I know how to do. Right, that's what it is when you're great. It's like it's not no thing. It's like, oh, no, I'm thinking about I have to put this word right here and turn this from a prepositional phase into phrase to a whole no, no, no, niggas, it's really nice. Don't think like that. Absolutely no, it comes because it's a gift from God.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. Your fellas Good interview tonight. Your fellas good interview tonight. Um, I think this is one of those shows, man, like I wanted to hop out so you fellas can do the iso, the one two punch who I am god you know. Kind of in the vein of all my wu-tang forever conversation, we talked about how rizzo wanted to construct certain things and get certain shots, and I know you guys are talking about I am god album for the past two weeks now.
Speaker 2:Um, it made sense, dennis johnson handing the ball to burden mckale. It's like if it makes sense you should do it, just do it. You should hand the ball to burden mckale. It's a quick 50 points easy.
Speaker 1:50 points it makes it make it easy no need to force it. Don't force the ball balls. You know I mean. So definitely don't need to force the ball. Pause. You know what I mean. Definitely don't need to force the ball. Yeah, don't force the ball. Your forcing the ball is crazy, though Not forcing the ball Forcing the ball is wild, my G. That is wild. That's the second one I did tonight. Yo Pause. I mean, I've been drinking Mama Wanda all day, man, so I need to relax.
Speaker 2:Yo, I know we only got a few minutes left because I know game one is going on. So, adriel, you had this great idea that we should list the greatest 36 songs from rap's greatest group in my opinion, the Wu-Tang Clan, and so I'm going to tell you what I actually did and shout out to you because this is a really dope-ass idea, ag, these are the type of rap ideas that make hip-hop fun. And so I'm going to tell you what I did. I listed 15 songs from Wu-Tang Projects and I listed 15 other songs from the solo projects, and then I figured we could sprinkle in other songs from the solo projects. And then I figured we could sprinkle in, but I figure, if I gave you a rundown of some songs, we could see how much dots we connect right quick before we go to see what our top 36 should be like.
Speaker 2:I know you're going to do your list and I'm going to do my list, but I was actually thinking what? What we really need is a hip hop talks list, yeah, and in order for that to work, so, sean, you kind of Sean and AG, I'm going to list these songs off and y'all are going to tell me if they make the top 36 and then we're going to work out the order expeditiously tonight so that niggas don't steal our shit because you know niggas like to steal our shit by tomorrow and by niggas. I'm talking to all you niggas now, since niggas want to be getting emotional, pulling up in the chat. Niggas want to be no, no, no. How about this? Since niggas didn't know what I'm talking about now, I'm talking about all you niggas. How about that?
Speaker 1:All you niggas Even putting them on bicycles. This goes out to you, wow, and you.
Speaker 2:I almost got you on mic today, man. Do I need to say it? Like Justin Timberlake said it, this goes out to you, you All, you niggas.
Speaker 4:The kick of the door. Could I run through a few possibles real quick? That may not make the list, but I just wanted to get y'all's take on it. They're possibles.
Speaker 2:Okay, run through your possibles, and then I'm going to run through what I feel like are 30 definites, but you tell me yay or nay for y'all Possibles.
Speaker 4:Holocaust by the RZA.
Speaker 2:No, no, it's not making the top 36. Not if we're including solo projects.
Speaker 4:No, that's why I said the possible. But this is tough. It's not on a solo album, but it's a soundtrack. Joint Tragedy by RZA.
Speaker 2:No, whoa, no, whoa, no, it's not enough. It's not enough. You talking about the rhyme and reason soundtrack? I know what you're talking about Rhyme and reason. He did a video to that too.
Speaker 4:The little this is. This is my possible list. This is my possible.
Speaker 2:We're also on a soundtrack that might make the top 36. It might need to make it. I don't love the record, but it might make the 36 if we're being objective, because I made an objective list, not a personal list, for what it means.
Speaker 4:That's what I mean. No, that's a possible.
Speaker 2:I like that possible.
Speaker 4:Two more possibles Run Kappa's version and Ghostface's version.
Speaker 2:I personally think Ghost's version is better, but I still think it's a possible, because Ghost has just in his catalog about 10 to 15 songs better.
Speaker 1:What about you, Shaw? I think Capital Version was dope, but I ain't gonna front. It's not Ghost Version.
Speaker 4:Ghost Version got Jadakiss on it, but still possible. Status correct.
Speaker 1:Still possible status. These are outside of my 36.
Speaker 2:Both runs are possible status. They get some possible action.
Speaker 4:Nutmeg, no what.
Speaker 2:I don't even know if Nutmeg is the top five song on Supreme. It's not better than one Mighty Healthy or we Made it, or Woo Bang 101 or Buck 50.
Speaker 4:Mighty Healthy was my next possible. That's my personal favorite.
Speaker 2:Mighty Healthy's in.
Speaker 4:That's my personal favorite ghost song. I think Mighty Healthy was my next possible. That's my personal favorite Mighty Healthy's in. That's my personal favorite ghost song, I think.
Speaker 2:Mighty Healthy's in. Sean, you can't be objective about Ghostface. We don't need you to answer, because if we did a 36 list it would have 20 Ghostface tracks. We can't do that. We're not putting 20 Ghostface tracks on a 36.
Speaker 1:Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 4:Okay, and I just got a couple more, but they're not from Angie. How many possibles.
Speaker 2:Do you have nigga? It's fancy. You're only supposed to have two or three possibles Ten ten, but this is not from the original run, that's the whole deck. That's the whole deck of cards nigga.
Speaker 4:No pun intended, but I feel like after Wu-Tang Forever, the original run is over, so I did my possible list of soundtrack songs or joints that didn't come during the original run. I had Cher, shea Lagos and then one.
Speaker 2:Yes, both, cher Shea Lagos and one. Yes.
Speaker 4:Okay, I'm putting check marks by them joints.
Speaker 2:That's Supreme. Clientele, that's Supreme.
Speaker 4:Clientele. That's all my possibles, but the rest of them all, I'll let you see how many more we got in comic hoop. If you want to run them off, can it be?
Speaker 2:all so simple. Got it? Shame on the nigga. Got it? Chess boxing Wu-Tang Clan ain't nothing to fuck with Cream. Method man, protect your Net. Bells of War, yep, method man, yep, yep, protect your net.
Speaker 4:Yep.
Speaker 2:Bells of war Don't have that you don't have bells of war in your top 36. Nope, but.
Speaker 4:I'll write it.
Speaker 2:We're going to have to squabble about that.
Speaker 4:I'm going to put a star on that no, no, no.
Speaker 2:We're going to take the definites and then we're gonna the mgm. Don't have that one. I don't have that one either. Both of y'all are wild. I just want to let you know that both of y'all are wild.
Speaker 4:Triumph definitely, yeah, impossible yep, yep eaters don't have that one, but I love eaters yeah eaters is special to gods.
Speaker 2:Nope, cash still rules. Yes, nope, okay, so put a stop on that.
Speaker 4:You know. But to your point, coop, I didn't approach it like you did. You tried to distribute it evenly between the group and then the solos. Like I have a lot of solo joints on here to be honest.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, that's okay. Reunited, of course. Clan in the Front, yes.
Speaker 4:I didn't have that one.
Speaker 2:I didn't have Clan in the Front. I think Clan in the Front's top 36. It is, it got to be.
Speaker 4:Gizzo went off, gizzo went off, he did, he did. And then the intro to that joint, that beat. I wish they would have rapped over that beat. That beat's crazy.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Killer Bees Bring the Pain.
Speaker 4:Of course, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yes, brooklyn Zoo. Yes, you're All I Need. Razor, sharp Mix Specifically yes, I'm saying Razor Sharp Mix for a reason Shimmy, Shimmy y'all Absolutely Criminology.
Speaker 4:Yes, before you get through with the method man joints, did you have release your delf?
Speaker 2:no, it's not making top 36 okay I had that as a possible incarcerated scar faces. Yes, guillotine, yep ice yes, of course. Verbal intercourse, of course ice cream yes, gotta be liquid swords. The yes, of course, verbal intercourse. Ice cream yes, got to be liquid swords. The song yes. Fourth chamber.
Speaker 4:Of course Yo can I say something real quick to that Fourth chamber. I was blessed to go on that tour with, before we jumped off, the Rage Against the Machine and the Wu-Tang tour. Now this is a rock tour. Rage Against the Machine was the headliners, you know we went to that Joy in Pittsburgh. You know it was a rock crowd and Wu-Tang is straight up rock stars. You know it was crazy. You know, because now you see, like large white crowds embrace hip hop, like that, but back then it wasn't as big of a thing but to see a rock crowd embrace the woo like they did. And where Fourth Chamber was played, let me tell you, the mosh pit went crazy, Went off.
Speaker 4:It's where it goes. Never seen nothing like it. That was dope, but go ahead.
Speaker 2:I feel like Fourth Chamber is when ghosts went from really really good to really really great. Absolutely Shadow, though, but go ahead. I feel like I feel like fourth chamber is when ghost went from really really good to really really great. Absolutely yeah, shadow boxing, absolutely yes. Winter wars has to be, gotta be on there one you already bought up one and shea, shea, lagos I did okay, what do you think about buck 50 and woobanger 101?
Speaker 2:I didn't have those, okay, no, neither did I, neither did I, but I just named 30 and y'all took all of the 30 except for four. So that's 26 of our 36 that we actually have, based on what I just listed off.
Speaker 4:Oh my fault. Did you say Bring the Ruckus?
Speaker 2:No, I don't think Bring the Ruckus makes it actually, because I feel like here are some records that I didn't name. Think about this I didn't name Spot Rushers or Ice Water off the purple tape Living in the. World Today by the Jizz. A Duel of the Iron Mike, killer Hills 103.04,. Motherless Child, kame Fish, daytona 500, slang Editorial Live from New York.
Speaker 4:I think Daytona has to make it.
Speaker 2:Daytona might have to be on there. It Daytona might have to be on there. Daytona might have to be on there. I think Iron Maiden's the best song on Iron man, but I think Daytona might be second.
Speaker 4:I have Fish, but I don't know if Fish makes it Fish is borderline, but I love some Fish.
Speaker 2:True Master.
Speaker 4:I had Cam A, but I don't think Cam A makes it. I don't think Kame makes it.
Speaker 2:I don't think Kame makes it.
Speaker 4:Motherless Child.
Speaker 2:That beat is one of my favorite RZA beats, if I'm being honest me too, and I love the Raekwon intro before Ghost tells another classic ghost story yeah that might be on the cusp to make it.
Speaker 4:I have Heaven and Hell, but I don't know if that makes it or not.
Speaker 2:I don't think so. Okay, because I think Rainy Days is better than heaven or hell.
Speaker 4:I didn't hear you mention Wu Gambino's.
Speaker 2:Wu Gambino's is something I had in the cut too. I think Wu Gambino's has a good shot at making it.
Speaker 4:Makes it Cold World. I didn't hear you mention that.
Speaker 2:I don't think Cold World makes it.
Speaker 1:I don't think it makes it, I think, killer Hills 103.04.
Speaker 2:Killer Hills 103.04 and Investigative Reports are better than Cold World.
Speaker 4:Investigative Reports was my next question. Do y'all feel like that would make it?
Speaker 2:That's borderline.
Speaker 4:You know, Nas wrote to that joint but Rizzo loved it. We never heard it.
Speaker 2:Nas and. Gza on the same song in 1995?
Speaker 4:It would have been crazy. It would have been crazy Now. Have been crazy. Now I had, uh, it's yours. I'm a big fan of it's yours. What do y'all feel about that?
Speaker 2:I was never a fan of this work, yours, outside of ray kwan's verse. To be honest with you, I love being honest but there's some woo wear effect with it's yours, like. Uh.
Speaker 4:Like I can see because of what the song meant and the fact that they actually were getting airplane club play off of it which was rare for a joint yeah, that's what I mean classic concert material, so no the video was great, um, and I might have missed it when you said it. Did you say all that I got is you?
Speaker 2:because that has to be on there oh no, I missed, and that's got to be on there, yeah.
Speaker 1:That's got to be on there. You got to put all I got on there, yeah.
Speaker 4:How did?
Speaker 1:you feel about. It's yours, sean, it's yours, it's got to be on there too, man Okay. That's how I feel.
Speaker 2:Got to be. Got to be about 30 of the 36, so I think we should just text during the game and put the rest of the list together and get it out before everybody jocks our style, like they always do. I know you like my style, you like how I break it down, want to get rich? I show you how. Yeah, yeah, before we get up out of here, man, another quick you have, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4:So before we get up out of here, man, another another quick, fun moment for me. I told this story on station head One time, sean was with me. Man, um, my uh, junior year, my, um, final project for English class you know this is how much Wu-Tang forever meant to me. Like we got to pick you know what we wanted to do our English like thesis on you know a project, and I picked the song A Better Tomorrow from Wu-Tang Forever and my English teacher you know older white woman, you know what I'm saying was feeling that joint. Like I got to bring you know what I'm saying the boom box, the class stereo, play that joint, break down all the bars, the lyrics, the hooks, everything that was said, and wrote a whole five page paper on that one song and I got an A plus on that joint and she told me my project was the best joint in the class. Like, well, that's. You know that's how much Wu-Tang Forever meant to me. That was one of my fondest memories of the album.
Speaker 2:Man was, like you know, doing a whole project on just that one song for the album. So here's my problem with the song, with the song like A Better Tomorrow. Almost every single song on the purple tape is better than that song. It was the more so. The message yes, better.
Speaker 4:It was the message from A Better Tomorrow. That was you know what I'm saying the breakdown, because I had to do a thesis on what it was saying, you know.
Speaker 2:No, I actually love the message of the song. I think RZA has the best verse on there he does.
Speaker 4:When he breaks down a flag.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. But if we're actually like judging it, like on the quality, it's like nah, ice Waters and Spot Rushers is better than that, wugambinos is better, rainy Days is better, knuckleheads is better, knowledge, god is better. That's what I'm saying. If it's not good enough, how about this? A better tomorrow wouldn't have made fucking Liquid Swords, iron man or fucking Purple Tape it wouldn't have. No, it wouldn't have no, no, it wouldn't. So it can't make the top 36?.
Speaker 4:No, I wasn't about to afford to make the top 36. I was just talking about that as a moment. You know what I'm saying, for when the album dropped, you know what I'm saying no, no, no, it was good. It was good. I don't know what.
Speaker 2:That's actually a really dope story, did that? Yeah, what is Sean doing, man? No, no, no, sean's in the DR. Let Sean enjoy himself. He's been having to deal with his daughter and his daughter's friends, it hasn't been a fucking vacation for Sean.
Speaker 1:This is Sean's vacation time. Can't even see the BBLs man.
Speaker 2:Now I'm not gonna Look, look, I'm not gonna call your daughter and these kids punk-ass kids. But this is what happened. When you take fucking kids to a vacation spot, you don't get no vacation till the kids sit, they ass down somewhere. I took my daughter and my niece to Myrtle Beach when they were like 5 or 6 years old. It's the longest vacation. There was never a vacation about 2 hours in. I realized I was like, oh, these niggas is on vacation. I'm at work still. Yes, I'm at work still 7 I'm at work still 7 o'clock in the morning.
Speaker 2:7 o'clock in the morning. Daddy, we're ready to go to the beach. Daddy, we're hungry. We're eating breakfast today.
Speaker 4:We've got a list of places to go.
Speaker 2:It's like you niggas just learned how to read and write. How do you have a list of?
Speaker 1:places to go. We got a Goku. We got a Goku. Just learn how to write list of places to go.
Speaker 2:We got to go Kool. We just learned how to write six months ago talking about we got places to go.
Speaker 4:Niggas, just learn how to write All our young demographics unsubscribing.
Speaker 2:Better watch these punk-ass kids. They taking over. They definitely are. They're booing Redman and Method man. Fuck these kids. Hashtag, fuck these kids. My new motto, boot tag is for the children.
Speaker 1:For the children.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm not for the children. My children are almost grown. They're 17 and 18 now. Fuck these kids.
Speaker 1:Yo peace fellas, let's go watch this game.
Speaker 4:No doubt, peace yo, peace Peace.
Speaker 1:Peace.